Fortune Cookie Friday: To Be or Not to Be

Well, I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving. If you didn’t get a chance to celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving, I hope you cherished the day none the less. Whether you were communing with family and friends, chilling at home alone, or working your tail feathers off, it is essential to live in the moment.

The holidays can be a stressful time of year. Families try to get together to share a meal and catch up—hopefully without uncomfortable family friction. If we happen to live far away from family, we have to deal with traveling, sometimes long distances to get together.

For the weary traveler, long lines, inclement weather, and other delays can be a pain in the backside. There is an old proverb: life is a journey, not a destination. Although we desire to get to our final stop, sometimes as quick as possible, we should enjoy the trip just as much. Sometimes, the mishaps of our adventures make the journey more memorable.

Now, not everyone can be with family on the holidays. Many people have to work while others are relaxing. It is common for health care and emergency personnel to clock hours late into the night no matter what the day. Soldiers deployed in distant countries can have a difficult time getting home for the holidays. International conflicts won’t end just because we are sitting down for a turkey dinner.

If we can’t be where we want when we want, we should consider making the best of where we are and just be. We should be thankful for all that we have, especially the little things in life. We should be grateful for life itself. We have a choice to be or not to be. We can disregard all that life gives us, or hold it close to our hearts.

So, take a moment to look around, listen to the sounds, and feel the energy around you and within. Revel in the places you go and people you meet, and be the best example you can be. Whether you are with the family, friends, or on your own enjoy the moment, because it will soon be a memory.