Moments and Memories

I created our holiday card today. Going back through a year's worth of photos to find the perfect ones to use is always a fun pastime. The memories run the gamut for everything that occurred over the past year. Yet, looking at all those photos got me thinking, even though we document these moments in our lives, are we really present while they're occurring, or are we too busy documenting to completely enjoy each moment?

You may be wondering what I mean by the word "present". Obviously, if you're in the, photo you were physically there. The "present" I'm referring to, however, is the mental state of ignoring all other areas (like texts or Facebook or even phone calls) and being completely and totally focused on the here and now of what's happening immediately in front of you. In this day and age of push notifications and automatic updates, how often do we do that? How often do we completely give ourselves over to nothing but the moment that we're in and those that are physically there with us? How many priceless moments do we lose by not being completely present?

I know that there have been times where I'm more focused on documentation and uploading to social media than I am on what's happening in front of me. We are all probably guilty of that in some form. But as I look back over those photos, I regret it. Don't get me wrong, I love having the photographic memories, but the moments themselves are so much more important.

As we enter this holiday season, with all of its moments and memories, we should absolutely remember that even though the documentation is wonderful, the moments that we experience with those we love and appreciate are infinitely more important to completely experience while we're in them. Life and its precious minutes are something that shouldn't be taken for granted or ignored. In any situation.

~ The Girl In The Little Black Dress