10, 9, 8, 7, 6....

I have counted down for as long as I can remember. Count down to camp, vacation, school start dates (yes, I was one of those people), school END dates, sleepovers, family visiting from Texas, birthdays... all of it. Once it went on the calendar, the counting began.

The tradition is something that I never quite stopped. In college I would once again count down to vacations and trips, finals, papers, going home, going back to college, the cycle never quite ending. What I remember though is having a moment of panic as my four year stint was ending. WHAT was I going to do? WHERE was I going to go? WHO was I going to be? I was clueless. The countdown was no longer helpful or fun, but instead a reminder of what was NOT waiting for me.

I did at that moment what seemed to be reasonable- I called my mom. Some background: My mom is not a here sit down let me pity you for hours and days. She does not let me wail and mourn. She does, however, give me the kick in the pants that I generally need. She did the same on that day.

"Stephanie?"
"Yeah?"
"Where are you now?"
"At school."
"Who are you now?
"A student."
"What should you be doing now?"
"Studying."
"Then that's what you do. You be where you are. You do what you have in front of you to do. Wherever you are- be there."

And it was true. Wherever I was at that time, that's where I needed to be. Where I was going, well, I would know what came next when I got there.

I remember that even now as I am making my lists and setting my calendar and planning my days out. It is easy to look ahead, but it is good to enjoy where you are, otherwise there are moments and times that you could miss. Sometimes it's the smallest things...

So, let's remember the past, look forward to the future, but live in today.

Would you keep a chive on your tooth just because you enjoyed last night's potato?
~From the television show Boston Common

Nothing is worth more than this day.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Never let the future disturb you.
You will meet it, if you have to,
with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.”

~Marcus Aurelius