Life won't look the same way twice.
I remind myself of this when I'm bored or anxious to get out of the present moment, always yearning to get to the next big event.
This day won't happen again.
I tell myself this when I find myself hurrying to opt out of dinner conversations or taking a loved ones' presence for granted.
You don't know until when...
It sounds scary (and it's a bummer) to think and talk about death. But mortality is what grounds me—it keeps my heart open to the fact that nothing is forever. And if that's the case, why not make every moment matter?
And by "matter" I don't mean forcing every single second to be big and loud and grand. Instead I mean: soak it all in.
Try to capture your favorite moments not just with your phone but with your eyes—etch them onto your heart. And while you're at it, engage with life. Feel the ground on your feet, listen to the sound of your chosen family's laughter, look into the eyes of your lover. Don't just eat—relish every meal as if it's your last.
Because even if you could catch a whiff of the same summer breeze, it still won't be the same summer you felt your first kiss. Even if you could revisit the same, familiar places, it still won't be an exact replay of the days you spent with childhood friends. Even if you walk down the memory lane through the aid of photographs, those moments are now forever frozen in time.
So right here and now, wherever you are, be fully there. With grace, patience, and gratitude.
Because life won't look the same way twice.