Forever now (returning 10/07)

Taking a break from daily writing, returning 10/07.

The highlight of my week presented itself in the most unexpected of moments: I was listening to “Madness” by Muse while running a late-night errand to get tape when I suddenly felt a sense of relief wash over me — my mind and body took a profoundly deep exhalation.

The experience reminded me of Emily Dickinson, who famously said “Forever is composed of Nows” — a vivid reminder that all we have to work with is, in fact, this moment.

Ironically and rather humorously, I’ve been so preoccupied filling up the moment with wondering relentlessly when relaxation will arrive amidst a more-chaotic-than-usual past few weeks that I’ve all but prevented myself from actually being able to feel relieved.

That is until I got in the car, queued up some Muse, and turned the volume up — at which point the wondering briefly suspended and a sense of relief was allowed to take its place.

I’m not suggesting that you can always suspend stressful feelings in exchange for feelings of relief at a moment’s notice, but I do think all of us can do this some of the time and it starts with appreciating that right now — this moment — is the perfect opportunity to do so.