Making Moments

On the last day of 2011, Tyler and I decided to go play around with our camera and take sunrise pictures. Although early and cold, it was beautiful to watch the night sky gradually change until the sun finally rose from behind the mountains. It seemed kind of fitting to witness the beginning of the last day of the year, in addition to celebrating its end later that night.

At that time, I was thinking a lot about the changes I wanted to make in my life for the coming new year, and I kept coming back to the idea that life is what we make it. If we want to have wonderful moments to look back on in the years to come, we need to make those moments happen. An old friend of mine used to tell me that "life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful." That has stuck with me for many years, and I have really come to believe that it is true. Life is never perfect, and when we expect it to turn out exactly the way we want it to, we will frequently find ourselves filled with frustration, disappointment and unhappiness. Life is full of so many different emotions and experiences. From the amazingly blissful moments to those that feel heartrendingly terrible, we all have and will continue to experience both the bitter and sweet moments of life. But no matter what happens, we ultimately choose what we do with those experiences, and who we become as a result.

 You never quite know what is going to happen when you watch a sunrise or a sunset. Sometimes the sun comes up and goes down with very little show, while other times the day begins and ends with a glorious display of breathtaking colors and beauty. Now, on this occasion the sunrise wasn't the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen. You might even say it wasn't "perfect." But it was beautiful all the same, and by watching it Tyler and I shared and created one of those wonderful moments- the kind that we can look back on and remember with a smile. 

 I suppose each new year, and really, each day of our life is the same way. We don't always know what will happen or how things are going to turn out. But I do believe that we can choose to make wonderful moments and memories, even when there are times that feel bland and gray.

 I feel certain that there will always be unexpected twists and turns that come our way in life. It's hard to anticipate the possibilities and changes that the days and years will bring. But my goal is to create the kind of moments and memories that matter, and to choose to see each change and challenge as a new adventure.

I want to make it wonderful.