We all have moments in life we wish would never end and go on forever. It is a time of happiness and joy that resonates with our souls so much that we continually return to visit that memory to remember what life can be like when it is good. These visits are precious when times get hard, and the good things are not so easy to see. Then you start to wonder, why isn’t life always a decisive moment? Well, unfortunately, in my experience, that is not the way it works. My life makes me look back sometimes. There are so many moments I wish I could have frozen time and live in them forever. Unfortunately, days, moments, seasons, and relationships end and turn into another thing. Understanding the value of moments and accepting them for what they are is one of the life skills we should all strive to perfect. But still, there are moments I wish I could freeze and live in forever.

Stars, the moon, and Clouds

There is nothing like the incredible power of nature to accentuate a moment or create a positive memory. I know some of my frozen moments involve the times I have been able to look at the tremendous power of nature with someone else. I think the moments punctuated my overall feeling of well-being with these people at the time. But when I think back on the moments in

my life, I would like to live in, experience, and be again. They involve these things. A night when the sky of stars enveloped me and made me feel like a part of the universe with someone else. To remember the stars and how they felt is to touch that memory but only for an instant, and it never brings the power of the experience back.

These moments exist not to haunt you but to provide you with the hope of tomorrow and remind you of the gifts life can bring you every moment if you take the time to look. If I were a great artist, I would paint an image of a sunny day in my youth, running through life with the purpose of enjoyment only kids can feel. Or to see the moon reflecting across the water as clearly as the love I felt for that particular person I shared with that moment. Our lives are collections of these events stored in our brains to help us remember that life can be helpful. They idealize these moments if fuel for you to persevere.

The real trick is to know when these moments are happening in the present moment. Grab them and hold them as best you can for as long as they last. Then as they disappear through your fingers like sand, be grateful.

Champions

Few things make us feel our value as when someone else thinks enough of us to be a champion for us. I know it takes a sense of selflessness to put the well-being of another before your own. It has been rare for me because I am an independent thinker and doer, and I want to believe I don’t need the help of anyone to do anything. The truth is that we all need other people in our lives for many different reasons. When someone cares about you enough to put your life in front of their own, you should always appreciate it.

I have often wanted to be the champion for someone else and help them win the day, achieve the goal and become the best they can be. Even when the effort is not appreciated or also wanted. I can’t help it when I care about someone to want to be their champion somehow. To help them, move them, and encourage them to be the best version of themselves, even when they can’t see it in themselves. Then I  look at myself and my misperceptions, mistakes, and needs and know I need a champion too. Perhaps we all need someone to be that person for us at some point if we can avoid missing the moment or driving them all away.

Hard Truths Of Life

There are also some fundamental facts about life that make me want to cling to the good times and people I have experienced during my journey. They are essential because these ideas are, on the surface, not very hopeful but inevitable in life. Each truth is seemingly not positive, but to accept them is to value the moments and times we experience on the journey. We will all get old, we will eventually become sick, we will die, and all of our valuable relationships will end eventually.

Each of these truths about life could have a book written about them, but being aware of the fleeting reality of things should push you to appreciate all the small and beautiful moments in life you are lucky enough to experience. Each time you are happy in something you are doing and find enjoyment in the company of another, appreciate it. Be grateful. Hold onto it for as long as you can. All things will inevitably slip away and move on into the either memory and will not be able to be felt again. These truths make all things unique. Often the value of something is determined by its scarcity, and memorable moments shared and experienced are the most valuable of this life.

Take Time

For just a moment today, drop out of your “normal” pattern of thought and spend a bit of time being grateful for the moments you have had and shared along the journey so far. Keep an open mind and eye for the new moments of life you could be having today. Seek the people and things that will touch your soul and bring you closer to the life your soul is seeking. Put aside petty jealousy, envy, judgment, and anger because they won’t be what you remember at the end of things. It will be those starry nights, sun-kissed days, and special times spent with someone you love. Love yourself and your apparent faults, and they are yours. Embrace it all because life is a collection of fleeting moments you wish could be frozen in time.

“I always loved the idea that a photograph was a memory frozen in time.” Ed Gass-Donnelly 

“Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go. Life is a barren field Frozen with snow.” -Langston Hughes

“Learn to enjoy the simple pleasures of life together, and life is a continually enjoyable experience.” -J.D.H.