Live in the moment?
I'm sure everyone is sick of winter posts. The blogsophere has been inundated with.."what i learned from the snow" posts.. I could not bear to be left behind so here is my contribution to the cause..now that it has finally snowed and given us a week off from school and work!
It snowed Sunday night! Woohoo! It was a winter wonderland! Here when we do not get much snow any flake is cause for celebration. When it comes done fast and sticks..its a fiesta!
On the first night of the snow..we all just sat and watched..the brave and young at heart frolicked in the white downpour..We are not practiced in the study of snow. We hear about it. We saw horror pictures from the NY blizzard and we thanked our lucky stars for living in such a warm place were such a thing never happened. But then it happened. The snow fell and it STUCK! School was closed and the roads iced over. We all snuggled at home with mugs of hot cocoa and steaming tea marveling at the beauty of it all.
But at day three when there was no food in the house and we were bored out of our brains some brave souls attempted to venture into the streets..looking for food ...looking for life. But the problem was they could not move, the snow had turned to ice and there is no salt to be found..except on the tables.. So we found ourselves shoveling. SHOVELING! Never in all my born years did i think that i would find myself shoveling snow..and man its hard work. We managed to carve out a walk way to the car and back and a little bit on the driveway so the car could move..but it was only patches. As I sit here now, there lies a frozen over driveway still.
But my neighbors driveway..a completely different story. Theirs is a dream. They shoveled when it was still snow right at the beginning. When the snow was light and fluffy they had the foresight to shovel the drive way. They did themselves (and us) a huge favor!When the rest of us were sitting inside all cozy and comfy and enjoying the moment..they took advantage of fluffiness and moved it then knowing that once it turns to ice it would be near impossible to get rid of it. How right they were!
The lesson is clear! Its far too easy to get caught up in the moment and not see what the future holds. Better yet, the best teacher is experience. I know that next time we get hit with snow, we will shovel right away and have salt out asap! But here's the question. How much in life can we prepare for? When can we take the time to enjoy the moment and when must we be looking at the future? Is there a balance?
It snowed Sunday night! Woohoo! It was a winter wonderland! Here when we do not get much snow any flake is cause for celebration. When it comes done fast and sticks..its a fiesta!
On the first night of the snow..we all just sat and watched..the brave and young at heart frolicked in the white downpour..We are not practiced in the study of snow. We hear about it. We saw horror pictures from the NY blizzard and we thanked our lucky stars for living in such a warm place were such a thing never happened. But then it happened. The snow fell and it STUCK! School was closed and the roads iced over. We all snuggled at home with mugs of hot cocoa and steaming tea marveling at the beauty of it all.
But at day three when there was no food in the house and we were bored out of our brains some brave souls attempted to venture into the streets..looking for food ...looking for life. But the problem was they could not move, the snow had turned to ice and there is no salt to be found..except on the tables.. So we found ourselves shoveling. SHOVELING! Never in all my born years did i think that i would find myself shoveling snow..and man its hard work. We managed to carve out a walk way to the car and back and a little bit on the driveway so the car could move..but it was only patches. As I sit here now, there lies a frozen over driveway still.
But my neighbors driveway..a completely different story. Theirs is a dream. They shoveled when it was still snow right at the beginning. When the snow was light and fluffy they had the foresight to shovel the drive way. They did themselves (and us) a huge favor!When the rest of us were sitting inside all cozy and comfy and enjoying the moment..they took advantage of fluffiness and moved it then knowing that once it turns to ice it would be near impossible to get rid of it. How right they were!
The lesson is clear! Its far too easy to get caught up in the moment and not see what the future holds. Better yet, the best teacher is experience. I know that next time we get hit with snow, we will shovel right away and have salt out asap! But here's the question. How much in life can we prepare for? When can we take the time to enjoy the moment and when must we be looking at the future? Is there a balance?
As it says in Pirkei avos, Aiyzehu chachamk? haroeh es hanolad. Who is a wise man, someone who sees what the future will bring.
ReplyDeleteIf you think about that, it is a fairly obvious thing, duh you gotta think ahead!
I think what it is trying to say, is to see the future in what you do now. Meaning, although the decision you have to make now puts you in "a hard place", u gotta see how that will play out later. Meaning, the real right decision now, is the one which will be good in the future.
Precisely, we have to look beyond the moment and see what the ramifications of our actions are-easier said than done!
ReplyDeleteThat is why The Lubavitcher Rebbe stressed so much on what it says in Perkai Avos, "Asai lecha Rav". He wanted everyone to have a mashpia. Someone older and wiser than you who has life experience. Someone who you feel comfortable sharing things with. This way, you have someone to help you figure out the future ramifications of your actions in an unbiased way. ( Cuz @ the end of the day, if something isn't comfortable now, we generally come up with reasons why we shouldn't do it).
ReplyDeleteIt is so important to have someone guiding you..otherwise we are just feeling our way in the dark.
ReplyDeleteand yea we are all too well practiced at excuse making!
The answer is in your mashal. When something might be dangerous, you need to worry for the future - but at the same time you should always enjoy and live in the moment.
ReplyDeleteDo you think your neighbor didn't enjoy the snow - even while they shoveled?!
im sure they enjoyed the snow on the grass..its just there is something about undisturbed pristine snow..
ReplyDelete