Things I know: Notice the Moment

Things I know: Notice the Moment: I know, I know, it's been a really long time, but I just haven't felt inspired to write...until now.   I was driving to work this mo...

Notice the Moment

I know, I know, it's been a really long time, but I just haven't felt inspired to write...until now.   I was driving to work this morning and hit a patch of traffic.  There were cars trying to merge onto the highway, and we were all moving slowly. I noticed a woman trying to merge and I could see she was nervous and stressed. I waved her on in front of me and I could see the gratitude wash over her face. Our eyes met...and we had a moment. Last year, my husband and I went to New Orleans for a convention. A friend of mine, (Hi, Karl!), invited us to a reception and we were given beads to throw to the passers-by.  (False pretense correction here, no body part exposure necessary to receive beads).  As I was looking down at the people walking past, a woman looked up and our eyes met...I tossed her a set of beads...and we had a moment.  The man at Dunkin Donuts who gives me a munchkin because we smiled together. Seeing something funny happen on the street in the city and realizing the lady nearby saw it, too...you laugh together...and you have a moment. 

These moments, and the thousands of others in my mental collection, string together like twinkling lights to brighten my life.  I am so grateful to the strangers who have made my world a better place and I can only hope I do the same for them. The thing is, I could just as easily miss these moments...look away, not notice, forget to smile....not laugh.  And what a shame that would be...how sad to go through life missing the opportunities to connect with my fellow humans...to have a moment with them. I guess just how much brighter my life is now, because of these moments, is immeasurable. But I promise you this, if you pay attention, you'll find these moments surrounding you, and if you take the time to notice, your world will be a brighter place. So, take notice...share the moment.