The Serendipity Of The Present Moment

I’ve written about a serendipitous moment when a blogger friend’s writing resonated deeply with what I was undergoing. But I’m beginning to wonder if serendipity is something that happens every once in a while or is it a daily occurrence and we’re not paying attention? I’ve often written about being present in the moment. I’m sure that there’s something good in every moment and we don’t realise it. I’m going to call it the serendipity of the present moment!

The Serendipity Of The Present Moment

Talking about finding good without looking for it made me recall this story:

A man who was running from a tiger in the forest. He ran and ran until he got to the edge of a cliff. He climbed over and was able to grasp a root, suspending himself along the cliff edge. Above him, the tiger peered over, drooling with anticipation. When he looked down, another tiger waited for him at the bottom, licking her lips. He looked ahead, and saw a bright, juicy strawberry growing beside the root he was holding onto. He took the strawberry in his mouth and savoured it. It was the most delicious strawberry he’d ever tasted in his life.

You might say it’s quite a disasturous end, but he did find something good in those last moments too. Perhaps, he found the strawberry even sweeter because it was his last!

What if we live every moment looking to find the serendipity of it – the life lesson it’s teaching us, the joyful experience, the sheer deliciousness of life?

I’m not sure who said this, but I love this : Wherever you are, be all there. It’s such an invitation to be present in every moment. To savour it as it were your last. And to find the serendipity of the present moment – every moment.

Author and speaker, Terry Hershey shared this letter written by an 83 year old woman to her friend Bertha.

 “Dear Bertha, I’m reading more and dusting less. I’m sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I’m spending more time with my family and friends and less time working. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savour, not to endure. I’m trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.
I’m not ‘saving’ anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event, such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I’m not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank.
‘Someday’ and ‘one of these days’ are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it’s worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I’m not sure what others would’ve done had they known they wouldn’t be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was. I’m guessing; I’ll never know.
It’s those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn’t written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn’t tell my husband /wife, friends and parents often enough how much I truly love them.
I’m trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.”

Now if this doesn’t inspire to live life to the fullest – every moment of it – I’m not sure what will.