Mortality

Mortality.

It is always nearby, closer each day. It is a constant reminder that tomorrow is not guaranteed and each action, each spoken word, each thought, could be your last. But it’s also easy to forget this. It’s easy to be distracted or consumed by negativity. It’s easy to lose yourself in things that may seem important in the moment but are actually meaningless.

So what is actually meaningful? My relationship with my kids. My attitude around my kids. In hindsight, the moments I regret the most were times when I overreacted with my kids. Am I doing everything I can to nurture my relationship with them? Am I embodying courage, welcoming challenge, giving them safety, not only physically, but safety in their heart to be themselves and grow stronger through kindness and self-reliance?

Mindfulness. Presence. I may not be able to control everything that will happen tomorrow, but I can control my intentions, my self-awareness, and my resilience. I struggle with finding the time for a steady routine. Night shifts, overtime, sleepless hours, and inconsistency all seem to make it hard to make tomorrow the same as yesterday. This is a work-in-progress.

This newsletter, OBSERVANT, is a reminder to myself to have not only my eyes open to the world, but my heart committed to my priorities. Each day is a new opportunity to find peace and give gratitude. Whatever I’m able to create, whether through writing or photography, is just the product of this commitment. I hope as a subscriber to this newsletter, you receive it as a source of resolution for your own commitments.