Act as if you will lose them.

As a mom to a 6 year old, I’ve had my share of moments that I feel frustrated with my kiddo. And maybe rightly so at times. Like when he kicks muddy shoes into the kitchen. Or maybe the times he thinks it’s funny to leave his greasy handprints on the glass door. And also, the repeated reminder to get his shoes and socks on every single morning. The list goes on. The fact is this: those we love the most, can also drive us the most nuts. 

And yet, I’d miss every bit of it, if it were gone.

How we see things transforms when we remember that tomorrow isn't a given. Annoyance turns to acceptance. Anger turns to patience. Reactivity turns to presence. When we contemplate loss, we see that we are incredibly lucky. We have so much to be thankful for. 

This includes things like muddy blobs all over the floor from their little shoes and those tiny greasy handprints on our otherwise clean windows. They are among the very things we’d miss if gone. 

Just as a good cook can easily enhance the taste of a meal with a bit of salt, we can simply remind ourselves. What we value and the people we love aren’t a guarantee. Perhaps one of the best spices to our lives is to remember this, and then watch our world transform.