It was a typical Sunday morning, my husband commenting on a wide array of articles as he works his way through the piles of newspapers. “Oh no!” he suddenly exclaims. “I can’t believe Charlie passed away,” he continues. “Who is Charlie?” I question. “He’s a guy I used to work with and he’s not much older than me. I haven’t seen him in years. I can’t believe he’s gone.”

And, here we go again. Mortality slaps us in the face. We feel the grief and the sadness for Charlie’s family. We also feel time evaporating before our eyes. As we experience the loss of yet another peer, we once again vow to maximize the moment. We chastise ourselves for getting aggravated by the “small stuff.” We renew our vow, “If it is not going to matter in six months---don’t let it matter now.”

With new resolve we affirm that we will maintain a positive attitude. We will bask in gratitude for the many pleasures and beauty in our lives. We will live in the moment. We will “smell the roses.” We really mean it. We are so blessed.

Then—the phone rings. Life goes on. We become immersed in the day's stuff. How quickly we forget----

How do you stay in the moment? laura@realwomenwin. #bereal.