The last few newsletters have been pretty heavy with knowledge. Hope you have gained some good insight from them. If you did not receive the last few newsletters, they are always listed on my website,
www.dabalmft.com if you click the “View My Newsletters” tab on the right hand side of the page.
The last couple of years have shown us that we cannot always anticipate what happens next. On March, 18th, 2020 I had no idea that day would be the last day I would see a client in person for quite a while. 2 years later we have learned to do things very differently. Telehealth with our doctors is a regular occurrence. Zoom meetings with our coworkers as we work from home is common. Looking professional from the waist up, and wearing our sweatpants is happening more than you know (yes, I too make sure I am comfortable, yet professional.) Our kids may be doing on-line learning from home or a combination of in-school and virtual. People have virtual Happy Hours with friends or family members. I’m sure there are many other things as well that you are doing differently than you were 2 years ago.
But…..we are also learning to appreciate things a little differently. For instance, we are valuing more when we do get to be in person with someone. We know it is a privilege to be able to visit someone in the hospital when they are sick or to even be there to help your loved one go through a tough time while they are getting an operation. We are understanding to make the most of every time we are with someone and to maybe go on that visit or stop at an inconvenient time to see someone, as we don’t know what will be next.
I recently had an amazing opportunity to be with family and friends and to see people I have not seen in ages. I did not want to sleep for about 72 hours to just take it all in and be present with everyone. The act of Mindfulness involves being in the present with whatever you are doing or whoever you are with. It involves appreciating the very moment you are in. Have you ever had an experience where you have said, “I wish I had met them for dinner or I wish I did take that trip with my family to see XX because they passed away shortly after.” Let’s not have those moments. Let’s take advantage to be with our loved ones and people we respect whenever possible. The bills can wait (as long as we are still paying them on time). Cleaning the kitchen can wait til tomorrow, if you have the chance to be with your child tonight at dinner.
I hope recent experiences have opened your eyes to living life in the moment and appreciating every minute of it. I love the phrase, “Life is short, eat dessert first.” Not sure who said it first, but the idea is to not wait to enjoy yourself and those around you. Do it now. Do it today. There might not be a tomorrow.
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Stay well,
Maryellen Dabal, MA, LMFT
817-876-9958
www.dabalmft.com
maryellen@dabalmft.com