Moments Like These

“Everything important in life is like this—here one moment and gone the next. All we have are these moments, and what we choose to do with them is what we choose to do with our lives. We can miss or relish every one.”

Jeff Goins (The In Between)

5:49am this morning, the door to my office pushes open and in shuffles our almost 3-year-old. He's warm and sleepy and wants a cuddle. He climbs up on to my lap and I swing my legs around, putting them up on the seat next to me, taking the opportunity for a break from the last-minute pre-launch craziness of Romper.He sits quietly on my lap and I begin to notice things.

His slow, rhythmic mouth-breathing.

The bumps of his individual vertebrae as I run my fingers gently down his spine.

The tickle of his fine white-blonde hair as I brush my lips against his head.

He looks up at me with his delicious morning face and asks, "You OK mummy?"Never before have I been more struck by how fleeting these moments are, than right now. Had I been busy trying to work around him, had I tried to type one-handed as I stroked his back, had I given in to the opposing force in that moment, I would never have noticed those things.Soon enough he won't want to climb into my lap for early morning cuddles. Soon enough he won't let me stroke his back and kiss his hair. Soon enough he won't smell like Nutella and soap.I'm not one to try to hold on to the past. Not anymore. But what I'm learning is that we have a choice to hold on to the present with both hands and pay attention to the tiny moments, the little things, the small beauties... or we let these moments slip on by, waiting for a better time to enjoy them.If something is happening now, then now is the time to enjoy it. In all its imperfect inconvenience.Yes, there are other things to do. Yes, you might short on time. But the moment is here regardless, so experience it.