I sit still.

My long legs stretch out before me.

My precious daughter sprawls out on top of me.

Her feet lightly brush the top of mine.

Her soft hair tickles my chin.

Her small hand links itself into mine.

No words are spoken. The quiet surrounds us.

“This is a moment,” I say to myself.

We measure time in moments.

Moments of calm.

Moments of chaos.

Moments of clarity.

Moments of confusion.

Fleeting moments.

Precious moments.

Unforgettable moments.

Moments we wish we could we forget.

Moments filled with guilt and sadness.

Moments we hold onto, and never let go.

With each and every moment, I am reminded of how blessed I am.

How blessed we all are; to live, to breathe, to experience the moments.

Time is a gift.

Moments are not guaranteed.

As a fresh year stands before me, I promise to savor the moments. Every single one.

I promise to let go of the moments I have held onto for far too long. The moments that grip like a vice, but need to be released.

I promise to cherish the everyday moments. The moments I often forget to pay attention to and forget to appreciate.

I promise to learn from the challenging moments. The moments I brush aside and wish never happened.

I promise to be thankful for the moments I am given. The moments I take for granted and fail to cherish.

I promise to live in the moment. To experience each one with love and gratitude.

As I kiss the top of my girl’s sweet, innocent head, I take one more moment…

One more second to cuddle,

One more second to whisper “I love you,”

One more second to appreciate this beautiful, simple, and poignant moment.

One more second to be present and thankful for the gift of this very moment.

I savor the moment and open my heart for the moments to come.

***