Being A Planner Means….

I’ve been a planner my entire life – maybe not always long term but a planner just the same. Sometimes it can’t be avoided, such as flying my granddaughter back to Colorado. Let’s face it, with the price of travel you have to plan in advance to get the best (such as they are) prices. Plans for vacations, parties, family gatherings…all good things.
But over the past year I’ve listened to my husband say these four words “live in the moment”…and I’ve worked hard to get there. I have learned that what is happening at that moment in time is more important because you will never get it back. I am convinced that to worry about what is to come takes away from what is now…and I have done that far too much. I knew when I grew up I wouldn’t live the life my parents did, may they rest in peace, I made a different plan for myself. As a young mother, I planned everything from when to do bath time to what meals to make. I had a list of all the meals I knew how to prepare (not necessarily good, but…) and made a coordinated grocery list for each week. It helped me with my budget, shopping trips, and provided me with time to be with my children for zoo trips, watching a TV show, and reading bedtime stories, without the stress of trying to fit too much in a day.  It was a great system, but one I let go of years ago. I had a list of my lists…everything was scheduled and planned. I still plan out meals, but in the morning with a “hmm…wonder what’s in the freezer I can make for dinner” type of plan. So many times I planned out something for my children’s future, only to have it backfire…it’s a thing called life. But I never gave up…I’d plan again, fail, only to plan again and sometimes succeed. It’s who I am…and who I’m trying to change. There are and always will be aspects of life that require some planning, but other than those times, I try to live in the moment. I spent the past few days with my Colorado crew (stepdaughter, son-in-law, and grandkids) and we had no plans…just letting life happen was enough. If we considered doing something and a new plan transpired we went for it.
What I am driving at is no one’s future is guaranteed – this thought is not new, but comes on the cusp of new information on someone I love – so if this is the last moment we have on this earth, then it needs to be the best it can be. I get politics are important, the state of our country isn’t what it should be, that crime and sadness are all around…but I want to enjoy every moment the best I can. Like having fun with family and friends just hanging out, sharing stories, lending an ear, sharing a tear or even better, a laugh. I can’t fix the problems of the world, so I prefer to be happy. Yes, I will still argue with my husband, or get irritated at a driver, but I’m learning to let things go a bit easier. I guess you could say my “give a darn” is busted. Life has a way of reminding us that every moment is precious. Every moment is a new chance to get it right, and every moment is a chance to tell someone that you love them, or as cliche as it sounds, to spell the roses. So for all us planners in the world…think about letting it go. As hard as it is, it is also very liberating…I know because this day, this moment, and even this second will never happen again, and for this great moment I couldn’t be happier…so live in the moment…go on…be brave. Let go of the future and look at your present…because as the word says, it is simply that…a present.