Are you ready for a 'time out'?

We sometimes get so busy with 'stuff' that we miss those beautiful fleeting moments that come our way. Maybe it's time to give yourself the gift of a 'time out' to take stock of what's happening in your life. All of the good things. Good people. Notes received. Words said. Experiences.

Close your planner.
Turn your to-do list upside down.
Step away from the computer.
Set your phone down.

You can do that ... just for a few minutes.

I know it's not easy to shut out all of the 'noise'. We're always on the go. Something always needs to be done. Deadlines must be met. Places we need to be.

Being in the midst of all of that busyness can cause us to miss so much. And we can instead focus on the negatives. Taking a little time to think about those special moments that drop into our life can make such a difference.  Embrace them.  Feel them.  Be grateful for them. Maybe even write them down in a journal.

I have had many lovely moments arrive during these past seven days and it was wonderful to take some time today to be grateful for each one of them.

- Spent an evening with some widow friends that brought me much laughter and some great entertainment.  Thank you, Debbie & Annette.

- Did a small act of kindness for a dear friend and his parting words are etched on my heart.  Thank you, Greg.

- Had lunch with a friend who let me share my story and listened.  Thank you, Catherine.

- Stopped by City National Arena and enjoyed watching the little ones put on their skates and gear and take the ice like professionals. Thank you VGK for bringing the love of hockey to our little ones.

- Joined thousands of other Vegas Golden Knights fans downtown for the Stick Salute. Thank you, Team, Turk, GMGM & Mr. Foley. Thank you for what you've brought back into my life.

- Had to write a 200 word bio for the Brave Girl Symposium directory and asked my son to read it. He gave me some really valuable constructive criticism and I'm much happier with the final product. Thank you, Jer.

- An old friend called - we lived in the same cul-de-sac during 5th grade but then I moved away for a bit and we lost touch. We ended up working together many years later, but then I moved to Vegas and she moved to Massachusetts. This 'catch up' call was filled with all sorts of really wonderful goodness.  Thank you, Bobbie.

- Did an anonymous Twelve Days of Christmas for my neighbor who lost her daughter unexpectedly this summer. She eventually figured out it was me and returned a couple of the baskets I had left on her doorstep for me to use again. When I got home I saw she had slipped a note inside. Such beautiful words.  Thank you, Nancy.

- I confirmed that Dr. C is still practicing and I'm writing him that thank you letter. Twelve years late, but I have a feeling he might just need to hear my words now.  Thank you, Dr. Cottrell.

It's been a busy week, with Camp Widow prep and a bunch of Brave Girl-related deadlines but taking these few minutes to remember exactly how I felt when each of these things occurred was well worth the time. Give it a try.