“Life is Not Measured by the Number of Breaths we Take, But by the Moments that Take our Breath Away”  ~Unknown

The above quote was sent to me by a dear friend. It is a powerful one to contemplate. I read it, close my eyes to reflect and feel into those moments that have taken my breath away. I smile as I sweetly remember my first true love, getting on the plane to go overseas for the first time, the birth of my children, sooo…many Big moments that caught my breath. However, there are many glorious small moments, that like butterfly wings touch the heart and soul, remaining etched in the memory bank of life.

In thinking about this quote I feel immense gratitude, for my life has been full of moments when my breath was taken, halted or stilled for a time. I love standing on a mountaintop to feel the wind against my skin, twisting and turning my hair in a dance. Nothing is more exhilarating and breathtaking than a skinny dip in a secluded mountain lake with no one there, just you and the nature that swaddles you. Looking at a new art piece my daughter has created, watching my son on the stage during a performance, a tender kiss with an intimate partner…. The list is glorious.

In the crazy chaos of our world today, I often worry that many people have forgotten how to feel the wind in their hair, enjoy the laughter of their children, truly connect with their partner, experience the awe of the setting sun or rising moon. I experience people looking to the computer, television, or phone to live a vicarious life, to watch for “moments” upon a screen. I wonder how many get missed in their own life through this distraction?

It is my dream that we do not forget the pure grace of such precious moments. For they truly are the things we carry tightly within our hearts, minds, and souls. When I worked in the nursing home, it was these breathless experiences that filled the patients stories. Their eyes would light up, their voice would rise, and a certain gaiety would embody them. I don’t know about you, but for me, when I am taking my last breaths, I intend to be smiling about all the moments that took my breath away throughout the years.

What are some of your moments? As you think about them, do they make you smile and think of even more?  I hope today’s quote reminds you to notice, be aware and help to co-create such breath taking moments.