Sarah Nigbor

As I watched my stepson Ethan belt out his Solo & Ensemble piece “This is the Moment” onstage Sunday night at his school concert, I had a revelation. THIS is the moment. Not tomorrow, not yesterday, but THIS. A reminder that I need to appreciate the things happening now instead of always looking to the future.

I’ll be happy when I pay this bill off…

I’ll be happy when I buy a house…

I’ll be happy when I graduate from college…

I’ll be happy when my sinus surgery is done…

I’ll be happy when I get promoted…

I’ll be happy when I go on vacation…

I’ll be happy when we remodel the 1970s hideous kitchen in our house…

I’ll be happy when the kids are done with school and we don’t have to run to sports practices constantly…

I’ll be happy when summer gets here…

But is that ever really the case? Or are we just looking for the next thing to get, accomplish, do?

The message hit me again between the eyes again the next morning (is God trying to tell me something?) as I listened to my favorite radio host, Dave Ryan on KDWB. Each Monday, a segment called “Motivational Monday” is played, meant to offer inspiration and thoughts to ponder as the week begins. This week featured actor Rainn Wilson, who played wildly popular paper salesman/beet farmer Dwight Schrute on the hit sitcom “The Office.” Wilson spoke about how when he was on “The Office,” he spent much of his time unhappy because he wanted to be a big movie star making millions of dollars. Forget the fact that he was on a hit TV show for nine seasons, making a lot of money already, working with incredible writers, directors and castmates such as Steve Carrell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and Kathy Bates. He wanted more and didn’t appreciate what he had until it was over.

Another character on the show, Andy Bernard (played by Ed Helms), said during the finale: “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the ‘good old days’ before you’ve actually left them.’”

How this statement rings true for me. I think of all the times I spent wishing for the next day, the next week, the next year, the next chapter. And while looking forward to things and planning for the future is absolutely acceptable, we shouldn’t do it to the detriment of overlooking what we have here, now, today.

When my daughter was a baby, I remember thinking how much I couldn’t wait for her to be older and more self-sufficient. How I would be so happy when she could go to the bathroom by herself, feed herself, go to school, be more independent. Now I have a beautiful, smart, spirited sixth grader who I adore; but how I wish for “the good old days,” when I was her favorite person on earth and it was her and I against the world. I know she loves me, but now I’m more apt to get an eyeroll and half-hearted hug when before she would throw herself into my arms with joy.

But instead of looking forward to when she’s an adult and doesn’t think her mother is the most uncool person on the planet, I am going to cherish each and every moment now. Every concert, every softball game, every 4-H meeting, every annoying shopping trip to the beauty aisle at Marshall’s.

Once upon a time, I met Ethan when he was a chatty 8-year-old, when I began dating his father. Now he towers over me and teases me for being short and is almost a man with one year of high school left. His two brothers aren’t far behind. Yes, these are the good old days. Let’s make all our days those good old days.