Spend More Time Living in the Moment

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and although it is not yet December, the Christmas season is upon us. Ready or not.

I’m not…

I’m not ready for the cold or the snow. Many of you will disagree with me, but if I had my way, we would have 1-2 inches of snow a couple days before Christmas, and it would all be gone by a couple days after Christmas. The only part I love about snow is being able to go walking in it, at dusk, when it’s coming down fresh and clean. It’s so peaceful and pretty in that moment. But then I’m happy if it disappears.

I’m not looking forward to fighting the people and the lines in the stores. I put too much pressure on myself to find the perfect gifts for my family and friends. My husband goes into a store with a list, and it’s like magic – everything he wants is right there. Check. Check. Check. I go into a store with a list and it’s anything but magic – you wanted what? Hahahahaha!!!

Well, bah humbug!

Sometimes I just have to step away from the holiday stress. I find peace when I morph into my alter ego, Lainee Cole, and spend time writing and playing with the shelter dogs in my stories. I recently heard a discussion about how to be as happy as your dog, and I thought it was fitting.

Dogs live in the moment. They don’t worry about what happened 10 minutes ago, or what might happen in the coming hours. They run and play, and yes, probably enjoy the snow I dislike. When they’re tired, they take a nap.

Dogs ask for what they need. They stick their nose in your face or lay on your lap. "Pet me," their soulful eyes beg. They sneak under the table and gently lay their heads on your thigh, hoping you’ll slip them just a bite of something good.

Dogs set boundaries. A low growl lets you know if you get too close, or if you are doing something that makes them uncomfortable. They don’t feel bad about putting us humans in our place. At least I don’t think they do…

Dogs are good at using their senses. They hear a noise and they investigate. They see a squirrel and want to chase it. We once had a dog who knew the minute someone got ice cream out of the freezer, even if the words "ice cream" were never spoken aloud. Dogs smell food and are ever hopeful that we will share.

We could learn a lot about how to be happy from our dogs. All of these things – using our senses, setting boundaries, asking for what we need – they all come back to living in the moment.

That’s my goal for this Christmas season – to spend more time living in the moment.

I want to focus on enjoying where I am and who I am with. I want to set boundaries on my time, to not feel guilty about turning down invitations if they don’t fit my schedule. I want to inhale the scent of my fresh-cut white pine Christmas tree, and transport my mind back to our vacation under the pine trees in South Dakota, where we got away from it all. When the cold and snow arrive, I want to listen to the wind rustle the branches of trees. I want to close my eyes and soak up any sunshine that comes my way while I take deep, cleansing breaths of fresh, cold air.

And once I’ve had my fill of the cold (which won’t take long), I will curl up in front of a roaring fire with a good book, and live in the moment of that world.

What are some ways you plan to live in the moment this holiday season? 

HiDee Ekstrom never goes anywhere without a book or a pen and paper. Reading, writing, and chocolate are important elements of her daily life that inspire her to write. She also finds inspiration in and enjoys photography, scrapbooking, camping, hiking, and spending time with her family. Writing as Lainee Cole, two of her short-stories have been self-published in anthologies: Captured by Christmas and At Midnight. Follow Lainee at Facebook Author Page, Facebook Author Profile Page, and on Twitter.