I don't think anyone would debate that time spent in day-to-day life can lead one to become a bit hardened or immune to the influences of the subtle joys available to all of us. If you are unconvinced, just watch the face of a child less than six when a bird flies over, or an insect walks into her path. Everything on that kid's mind halts for a few seconds to take in what is happening in the moment, right in front of her eyes. Is that how you react?

What's happened that has made us ignore many of those moments now?

We get caught up within our minds about the next meeting, the next task to be tackled, the sale to be made, the grocery-store list we need to write, the car we need to refuel, and on and on and on.

Does anyone really believe that we are here, experiencing life on planet Earth, so we can write our grocery list?

It still brings tears to my eyes to recall a day long ago when my first child was about 2, and she saw her first duck. The neighborhood where we lived had a small pond only a short way from our house. My little daughter was toddling along with me following when we rounded a corner and could see the pond. Between her and the pond was a mallard almost as big as my daughter.

She didn't hesitate for even a second: as soon as she saw the duck, she turned to approach it. The duck, at first, just walked the other way. Soon, though, the duck realized that the kid was not going to stop following, so the duck took flight. That's the moment I will never forget. The wonderment, the awe, the joy, the eyes of God shining in the face of the childall of those were evident on my daughter's face and in her eyes at that instant. She had never seen a bird of that size leap into the sky and just keep going.

Her arms flew out as if to hug the sky, as if she could still have the duck if only she spread her arms widely enough. And then, the moment was over. My daughter found something new to focus on, and we continued our walk.

It was only years later, when I sat to write my daughter a short note to honor her as she was graduating from high school, that I first cried at this memory. Now, the tears trickle down my cheeks each time this small moment comes to mind. It is now a poignant memoryone that encapsulates what living--truly living, not hustling to make the next appointment--is really all about.

Ironically, I did not learn this lesson my daughter offered me when the lesson was presented. The lesson remained in my head for many years before I was ready to learn it. Now, I stop and watch when a flock of geese is flying their V south in November right overhead, honking furiously. I pause before I get in the car to drive to work if I see a glorious sunrise-lit cloud formation afire in orange and pink. A rainbow is enough to make me late coming back from lunch. A toddler learning to stay upright is worth a hesitation in my step so I can recall that time in the lives of my own, now grown, children.

Life is about those moments. Life, in fact, *is* those moments. It's what we all came here to experience. It's what we can take with us when we depart. That gentle, subtle warmth we feel inside comes about when we touch the core of our purpose. That calm, quiet voice inside that we often ignore offers us the vision of that purpose.

If you have the opportunity, try jumping off the wheel you feel required to keep spinning every waking moment long enough to see what I'm talking about. Spend five minutes watching a fountain shoot water skyward and enjoy the endlessly changing shapes the water creates as it falls back to the pond. Allow yourself the luxury of sitting down on a park bench next to a kids' playground, and pick one kid to follow with your eyes. Can you remember your own days on the playground? If not, relearn! The kid you watch will show you. Take an extra moment to appreciate the way the wind makes the leaves on a tree sway, sometimes when the air seems to be completely still. Let nature, nurture.

We've all got a limited amount of time on this ride. We all get to choose how to spend it. I recommend being *in* as much of it as you can. Most of us cannot avoid speeding through much of it, but we can all be in our lives if we consciously decide to be. Even one moment can influence you twenty years later, can color the way you see life, and can offer up the purpose and reason for desire to fuel a lifetime.