In the Moment

Sometimes, the moment we're in is one we wish would end instantly, like the blink of an eye. Other times, that moment is one we wish would last a lifetime...

Like tonight when both my little ones were crying for their mama at the same time...That is a moment (or an hour...or two) that I wish would end instantly. Or when one of them is hurting...I wish the pain would end right then and there. When I was going through the agony of my divorce, I remember begging G-d to make the heart ache stop as soon as possible, saying that I wish I had a magic wand that would make it all disappear...

And then there are those moments that we wish would never end...Like standing under the chuppah (wedding canopy) with your new spouse...Or going away on a spontaneous vacation, when nobody knows where you are. When your toddler hugs you tight, or as you hold your baby, she/he stares at you straight in the eyes, as though the two of you are the only ones in the entire world...

It's so much easier to be "in the moment" when we want to be there...And it can be so incredibly difficult to be "in the moment" when it hurts.

But more often than not, there is a silver lining to be found in that painful moment. Something important to be learned. Some kind of epiphany to be had. Something life changing that comes about from just allowing ourselves to "be in the moment". 

I am a big believer in "sitting with the pain" rather than trying to escape it. If  I am here, it's EXACTLY where I am supposed to be at this moment. What am I going to take away from it? What am I going to learn in order to be able to move past this painful place I am in?

G-d provides us with hundreds, if not thousands of opportunities, throughout our lifetimes to grow and to improve ourselves...To become better, more self-aware and more thoughtful people.  It is up to us entirely to decide whether to take those opportunities and run with them or to remain in a state of denial and lying to ourselves...

When the busy lives we all lead quiet down, even just for a little while...When all there is, is us and the pain, that is the moment of truth. That is when we can reach deep within ourselves, take a hard and truthful look at  the mirror and begin the journey back to the most important place there is...The real me...The real YOU.

Even being "in the moment" with the tears of our children is meant to teach us valuable lessons...Lessons that will in turn, allow us to become the best mothers and fathers we can be to our little ones...

With Love,
Cigal