Putting things in perspective

I just tripped across a absolutely brilliant and poignant posting about the importance of enjoying the simple experiences of life before they are gone. The author (Patrick Frey) relays a story of a few years ago when due to a baby sitter scheduling mishap he was "forced" to sit in his car with his young daughter while his wife watched a music concert inside. What was actually an unplanned and initially unwanted activity turned into a lifelong memory.

He asks the question, if he could go back to that night, right now, and either stay out in the car with his daughter, or be inside and watch the concert as he had set out to do that night, which would he do? Of course the answer is obvious, now. But what are those things that we are doing today, tonight or this week-end that might appear mundane in the present but priceless as we look back on them in the future?

The author poses this question:

And then I realized: some day, years in the future, I might be asking the same question about my life today — this very minute. If you could have this moment back to live over again, what would you do?

And this response:

The rest of that evening, I pictured myself as having been sent into my body from the future, to relive the moments I was experiencing. And I saw everything differently. I sat on the couch and watched television with my arm around my wife — all the while imagining myself as an old man, transported back in time to relive that moment. And all of a sudden, what otherwise might have seemed like a mundane moment seemed like a privilege. I felt like the luckiest guy in the world, just sitting there with my wife.

Do yourself a favor and read the entire post. And the lessons are not limited to growing children. It applies to our parents, friends, and other relatives. Almost everything we experience in life is changing and temporary. Enjoy it before it's gone. (Finally, from our perspective, there is no excuse for not having and using a digital camera).