Jane and the Given Moment
A Lesson in Appreciation
Last weekend I made a 14 hour roundtrip to Buffalo, New York, for my daughter Eliza’s bridal shower, which was hosted by her fiancé Dan’s creative, capable mother (and my dear friend) Jane.
To welcome us, she put together a complicated, healthy, colorful, and delicious family dinner. She designed, sewed, and filled all 28 of the gift bags dispensed at the shower. These are but two of the countless things she did to facilitate the weekend with a full and happy heart. There was nothing grudging in the whirlwind of creative effort that marked this important moment in time. Jane nourished the souls and senses of everyone gathered. This is simply her jam, as a mother, and as a human being.
Being honest, I have always been a perfunctory cook and I gave up sewing after flunking it in middle school Home Ec. My strength as a mom was my largely unfounded faith in the future, so sweeping it made me often ignore the present, always scanning the horizon for the next big thing.
I have Jane to thank for the wake-up call to celebrate now. Her cherishing of the significant moment has made me, for once, savor the joy of arrival instead of immediately planning for my departure. I am feeling all the feelings- nervousness, excitement, gratitude, and most of all, love. I’m in no hurry to leave.