Seizing the Moments

I responded to an “SOS” call from my son on Tuesday about their youngest, 11-year old Bryson, who was very sick and because they were going out of town the next day, they needed Nana. There are very few things, if any at all, that would keep me from putting anything else more important than to SEIZE THE MOMENT and go. Within 45-minutes, I was on my way and while my son offered to fly me down, the drive is much less hassle than the rigors of a commercial flight. When I arrived, little man was quiet, curled up in a ball, and it was Nana time with that sweet little man.

Next morning, his mom and dad were on their way and it was time for a lot of TLC love and cuddling – I take it ALL in with pleasure and delight. I know how quickly time flies and to be able to embrace these moments, is such a gift to me. I knew I would be there just that day and head back home to my routines, when my Bryson started begging “Nana, can I go home with you?” He knew that the family would be driving up this weekend for Brennan’s baseball tournament in McKinney (about 30 minutes from my home). I didn't take him seriously because he's quite the “mama” boy and I thought he’d change his mind, but I found out he had texted his hom nine times begging to go back to Frisco with me. They made it back home late Wednesday night and when Bryson woke up Thursday morning, he ran to his mom, still begging to go home with me. Bryson is home-schooled and she told him to ask Nana if she could wait until after his classes, he could. I was still in shock at this new-found freedom of unlatching from his mom. I was delighted.

Suddenly that quiet, sickly little boy that I saw the day before, was excited beyond words and quite amenable to any and everything that was asked of him. He had a plan and the plan came together. First stop of his plan: Buc-ee’s for a root beer and vanilla float. Then it was non-stop conversation all the way back to Frisco. I was in a state of shock. Never has Bryson been in the car with me alone before for any real length of time without his brother – who is the master of conversation. Bryson would always give way to his big brother’s verbocity. But, this trip, he was a chatterbox, telling stories and expressing ideas and thoughts like I had NEVER heard out of him before. He was definitely a travel companion that kept his driver wide awake. He didn’t even want to play games on his phone.

We made it back to Frisco and he wanted to see his cousins and their pets first, and then it was to Dollar Tree. It’s hilarious. I give him $5 to spend and it’s an adventure for him. Cousin Alexia just got her driver's license and was excited to be our driver. We tucked into bed and then it was one of our favorite times – to watch one of Nana’s Hallmark movies. What can I say? He’s a man after my own heart!

I love this season of my life. In fact this morning, for the first time ever I changed “work” on my FB profile to “retired”. I never wanted to say that word because it seemed to identify those who are sitting in a rocking chair and getting nowhere. I had new thoughts about “retired” over the last couple of days. My new definition of retired is “freedom to be ‘on-call’” anytime and in any place for God and WHOEVER He sends me to. It’s freedom to seize the moments like never before, and most of all, to live with no regrets. I’ll be seizing more moments when my Austin family make their way here for Brennan’s baseball tournament this weekend. SWEET!!!

I keep my phone in hand as my camera to "capture that moment" so that I "have no regrets" about that once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity. Rarely do I miss the opportunity to take up a friend's invitation to go somewhere or do something with them. I do my best to listen for God's voice telling me to call or email or text someone, or even go see someone to give a word of good news and cheer. Seizing the moments. Life is just too short not to be that breath of fresh air that someone needs so much. Often, it's easy to say “I’m too tired or too busy to go there or to do that.” But, then we realize the fun we missed, or the opportunity we missed to make a difference in our life and someone else's life.

Are you seizing those moments, minutes, days of YOUR life? We are here at this place, and this moment of time, for a specific purpose that God gave for only us to fulfill. Let's be done with just going with the flow.....and let's live ALL IN! Let's look for those moments in this day.....that are over-the-top outrageous, once-in-a-lifetime moments, so that tomorrow, we'll look back and say, "I lived with NO REGRETS!"