Carpe Diem

 We're probably all familiar with the phrase "Carpe Diem", which is commonly translated from Latin to mean "seize the day!", or live in the moment, with little thought for the future. It traces back to Roman poet Horace's "Odes" written over 2000 years ago. A more accurate translation  actually refers to "plucking the day" as in gathering ripe fruits and flowers or "smelling the roses" I guess you could say. It reminds us to fully experience all that life and particularly nature has to offer us on a moment-by-moment basis, not putting things off for some future day, but enjoying all that is given to us as each day unfolds.

I thought of the phrase this morning as I was recalling a conversation I had yesterday with my brother-in-law, who lives on the West Coast and is visiting with his wife, Tom's sister. We were at a family reunion dinner, enjoying the company of siblings and children gathered from Oregon, New Mexico and Florida, a few of whom we hadn't seen in five years. As we were saying goodbye and talking about our next visit to Oregon, my brother-in-law said, "We just can't be on the five-year plan anymore because none of us knows how much time we have left." The truth of that statement really hit home: it is something that we usually don't like to think about (facing our own mortality), but it's essential for all of us to remind ourselves of that everyday, regardless of our age.

It's so easy for us to get caught up in the busyness of life, trying to make sure the bills get paid and we're able to accomplish everything on our to-do lists, that we can lose sight of how precious and fleeting it all is. There are no guarantees for next year or even for tomorrow, even though we like to put a great deal of effort into planning future events and looking forward.

So today, I am going to enjoy the sunshine, pluck the last of the flowers from my garden, and have fun at the pumpkin farm with my daughters and granddaughter, fully immersing myself in the experience of being alive. Carpe Diem, everyone!