It was dark by the time I left the office tonight. There was a crisp chill in the air. As I walked to my car, I saw a group of people playing kickball in the street. The players were all in their late 20s, early 30s. They wore suits, ties and dress shoes. The sound of their laughter echoed throughout the night. Watching them made me smile and with the chill in the air, I was transported to other laughter filled nights.
I was back in Mississippi with the other neighborhood kids at the age of 10. We played hide and seek in the night, hiding in the park, behind bushes and running throughout the cul de sacs of the navy base. Hide and seek soon turned into freeze tag as that game sometimes did. It was fun until the parents started calling for us to come home.
Suddenly I was walking through a football field in an itchy uniform. All of us in the marching band were excited to begin our routine. The smell of hot dogs and popcorn filled the electric charged air. I could hear the laughter and the cheering from the stands. My clarinet poised and just as were about to begin…
There was a change in the wind and I am back in the parking lot after work. Despite the stress and disappointment of today, I could not help but smile as I climbed into my car. What I find interesting is that in those moments, I never thought I was making future memories. I was enjoying the moment and living for the now. It was a pleasant reminder that despite the importance of planning for the future and working towards my goals, I need to make sure I live in the now; to enjoy the joys that will make me smile in spite of the dark times.
These now moments just may be the memories that make me smile in the future.
PhoebeJaneWrites 