A WORK IN PROGRESS of staying in the NOW...

Sometime we pull ourselves from the present into the past or the notions of what the future may bring. Recently after driving with my husband and our 6 children from southeast Georgia to northern California in three days...I found myself dreading the drive back in less than 96 hours and had to stop myself and focus on the "now" of being  together with family we have not seen in over 7 years, the "now" of our children meeting those they know by name in picture now in living color like cousins, aunts, uncles, grands... and basking in their love,  the "now" of going to Baba's and Mama's  favorite"eats" and sharing the flavors and ambiance with our children, and the "now" of honoring family including our ancestors with song, flowers and poetry.

The return drive was challenging, exciting and beautiful as we flew in record time from the city in the Bay to New Mexico where Long Run, our 15 passenger van hit something laying on the interstate, and broke down and we had a 2.5 day layover before pushing on in a rental.  Breaking down, walking briefly along  interstate 40, crossing over a barbed wire fence, seeing wild prairie dogs and rabbits miraculously made the dread of driving home totally dissipate and all I could do was focus in the now on getting home safely...oh, the humor.

Now Baba is preparing a journey to the west coast for one of the greatest assignments of all, taking care of his first love and Mama, and you would think I would have learned my lesson and not be so quick to begin missing him...while he is still here...Ahh, I am a work in progress of staying  in the now.