Cherish the Moment
Discovery House is a service based gap year experience for individuals ages 18-24. Participants can select commitments of one month, a semester or a full academic year.
We’re back! It is that time of year, the time that I like to call “stress season.” Unlike most seasons, that only last for a few months, this season lasts for nine months. And August is the kick off. The month where the summer lifestyle starts to drift away, and the school schedule starts to get into full swing. It’s the time that, whether school has started or not, the stress for the awaiting year starts to brew. There are books to read, school supplies to be bought, practices to attend, and for me—and many others seniors—the time to start applying to colleges. For me, once school starts I never stop working until the semester ends. I am always studying for a test, writing a paper, attending a rehearsal, or trying to catch up on sleep. Although I love Dominican, the transition back is never easy.
Now, one week into the school year, my to-do list already stretches a mile. Unlike every other year, I love my overbearing tasks! I have finally realized before my senior year how precious my time is in high school, because in one year there will not be an opportunity to redo it. With this in mind I am trying to soak up every experience and engrain it in my memory, because soon I will be walking across the Dominican High School stage receiving a diploma and throwing a cap in the air.
Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.”
— Earl Nightingale
However, it is not just high school, or college, any other event I should cherish, it is every day—ordinary or extraordinary. This past summer I have truly appreciated the simple gift of life. A gift we all take for granted that God has magically bestowed upon us. It is a true miracle that you and I are alive, and at any moment it can be taken away from us. Today I could land a big part in a musical, but tomorrow I could get in a car crash. Every second that God grants us is a second to savor. What becomes sad is when people disregard their gift. All people—whether they have a disability, disease, or are healthy—have something to learn, something to experience, and something to teach the world or an individual person. Do not assume you will have the same opportunities today that you will in ten years, go out and see all the things life has to offer.
This, my FINAL year of high school, I am reminding myself to love every minute. That includes dances, football games, performances, papers, tests, and even, lots of homework. I encourage you to savor every moment: of parenthood, your job, being a college student, or simply being alive; In addition, try something new! Whether you are faithful or not, life has the same significance.
Questions for Reflection
What makes you happiest in life? Do you take it for granted? How can you spend more time doing that?
Is there anyone or anything that causes unnecessary stress or problems in my life? Is it worth continuing with that person or thing?
What is something that you would like to try or experience? How can I make that happen?
What is something I can teach someone about the world? What is something they can teach me?
I think there are many reasons for this. I have traversed some unexpected personal and emotional terrain during the past couple of years that have taken my soul by surprise. The trek through this tundra, although necessary and meaningful, has been arduous, painful at times, and wearing on my spirit. Additionally, I think the nearly continuous news streams of distressing societal events has similarly taken a toll on my spirit. There have definitely been moments when I've been near despair and have had difficulty hanging onto a thread of hope, despite being a person of deep faith. I also think that, if I'm honest with myself, I've fallen into one of the traps of being a "good person," which is to lose sight of the very good that I'm hoping to embody. Elizabeth Gilbert, in an interview with Krista Tippett from The On Being Project, shared, "And you know, you have to be careful about this, especially when you have an impulse to be a good person — a “good person,” and your definition of a good person is somebody who gives everything to others. It's a beautiful impulse, but if it's done from a place of only giving darkness and suffering your attention, then you become somebody who's very difficult to be around. [laughs] There's a lovely line that this British columnist said, one time, that “You can always tell people who live for others by the anguished expressions on the faces of the others. [laughs]”[1]
This is not what I want for myself.
So, with the awareness that I am experiencing a disconnect between the person that I hope to be (and perhaps even the person that I project to others) and the person that I perceive myself to actually be, I have decided to pray during these summer months for the gift of joy. Ironically, it's with a little internal chuckle that I acknowledge that this is not the first time that I've prayed for joy. I distinctly remember starting a journal at the 2015 New Year with the first page boldly reminding myself to, "Choose Joy!" Then, only a year and a half later, as I turned 40 years old, I found myself purchasing a daily reminder in the form of a bracelet that says, "LIVE joyfully." I still wear that bracelet almost every day. Clearly, living joyfully has not been my natural impulse for a number of years!
But I read something recently that might just become a game-changer for me. I have begun to experience unexpected joy from reading about...
the incarnation!
"Huh," you might be thinking?
I mean, yes, yes, of course the incarnation (God becoming human!) is a reason for joy. Yes, certainly this is true. But is it really a practical, game-changing experience for someone's real, everyday life? Surprisingly, I think that it is!
I have been reading Ronald Rolheiser's classic book on spirituality, The Holy Longing, and my entire perspective on prayer has shifted... and it's all because of the incarnation. Here's what Rolheiser writes,
"When we pray 'through Christ' we are praying through the Body of Christ, which then includes Jesus, the Eucharist, and the body of believers (ourselves) here on Earth. We are praying through all of these. Thus, not only God in heaven is being petitioned and asked to act. We are also charging ourselves, as part of the Body of Christ, with some responsibility for answering the prayer."[2]
This is a game-changer.
What are strategies you can try to be joyful?
Reflect on the idea of the incarnation. Where do you see the presence of Christ embodied in creation