Glittering magical moments

“Life is made up of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen. We have to teach ourselves how to make room for them, to love them, and to live, really live.” ~Anna Quindlen, A Short Guide to a Happy Life

At the close of a busy summer, many of us like to review the highlights of the season. We might focus on the major milestones — weddings, graduations, birthdays, retirement parties, or family vacations. Likewise, when we chronicle our whole lives in retrospect, we tend to list these big events and achievements first.

But all said and done, the moments I treasure most are the “small pieces of glittering mica” that Anna Quindlen mentions in today’s quote.

For instance, my favorite parenthood memories include lazy summer days at a local park with my little boy, years ago, watching freight cars roll across the train tracks … And the evenings my husband and I sat outside and talked until the sun dipped below the horizon on Lake Michigan. What moments in your life shine brightest? Are you making room for more of them? ~CL