Carpe Diem

I’m trying my best to live in the here-and-now, to enjoy the present moment. It’s not hard here in Jamaica with the sound of the sea roaring in the background drawing me from vista to vista. But every once in a while with no real warning, sadness creeps in and takes me over, reminding me that the loss is permanent and will go on forever. When that happens I take a deep breath, maybe I even cry, and wait for the feeling to gradually dissipate.

When I was at camp and learning how to swim, I was afraid to dive down to the bottom of the lake, sure I would run out of breath before I could safely get back to the surface. I tried and tried but always I would start to panic and pop back up gasping for breath. Finally one day a counselor told me the secret: not to let out my breath all at once but to blow it out slowly, bubble by bubble. Good advice.