It is so easy to get caught up in the “doing” of life and forget to pay attention to what you’re doing it for. I feel like I go through the day constantly looking to the next thing, focusing on the problems that need solving, and dealing with things that “need” to get done. And I feel like it keeps me from being able to see and appreciate what is right there in front of me…. and what’s there is really all that matters….

I try to remind myself to “chillax dude” (as I tell my sons to do when they are having an irrational breakdown, often from being forced to wait more than 2 seconds for anything), to soak in the small moments that are so fleeting in life. Take time to inhale the smell, sink into a hug, taste the food, and acknowledge the immense beauty in a loved one’s face. Enjoy the moment because it is only there for a moment. What a simple concept…. so why is it so hard for so many of us to put into practice?

One thing I love about photography is that it can help preserve some of those fleeting times. A great photograph can bring you back in time and allow you to relive a feeling, an emotion, a moment. The thing to remember is that you had to have lived it once in order to relive it. Although it is impossible to appreciate every moment, I wish everyone a few great moments in every day of doing that they are reminded what they are doing it for.

-Gretchen