Quick Encounter

There is a gift in simply being present with someone, even if the encounter lasts only 30 seconds. When I make eye contact with the supermarket clerk or my table waiter, my eyes say "I see you. You are not a thing to me. Or merely an appendage to the cash register. You are  a person."

As we rush through our days,  let us stay conscious of each interaction. Remember that everyone we meet is a God-holder. Honor each person with eye contact and a smile. It doesn't matter if the person smiles back.  We're offering a gift, not a trade.

The Gift of Memory

My son Andy was 18 and in college when he sadly said to me, "Mom, I don't have any of my own memories of Daddy. I was too young when he died.  All I have are the family stories." His statement shocked me. It made me profoundly aware of what a gift memory is.

 Right now, I'm enjoying the memory of a wonderful week spent with friends in the Colorado mountains.  What are some of your special memories? Getting your child ready for the first day of  school? A spontaneous "date" with your spouse?  A much-longed for trip you were finally able to take?

Sometimes we get so busy multi-tasking that we don't pay attention--we literally don't notice--our own memory-making moments.

Today, resolve to pay attention.  Notice.  And right now, take a moment to recall some of your own special memories. What a gift they are!