You Were Here. And It Was Beautiful. I Hope You Noticed.

A reflection on time, presence, and the people we love.

It’s 2025? When did that happen?

The 1990s were 10 years ago. It’s somehow still permanently 2010. The last time I remember things feeling even remotely normal was 2019, when my mom was in the hospital for Congestive Heart Failure. I was so sad at the thought of losing her. And now, looking back—what could’ve just been yesterday, as far as I’m concerned—it felt so good to hug her. BE with her...

Life is so short. These days, we’re lucky if we make it to 80. If we’re really lucky, maybe 100. One hundred short years.

Think about those weeks when you reach Friday and wonder what you even did all week. You probably overworked yourself, maybe forgot to eat. Now it’s the weekend and you feel like a long haired domestic cat who just got out of the rain and now has a bad hair day, struggling to remember what you even had for dinner last night.

Have you paused lately—really paused—to notice where you are? Who you're with? How it feels to be alive today?

How many days are you really present? I mean here, in the moment. Are you worrying about the past? Stressed about the future?

It makes sense. With everything happening in the world, it’s hard not to be distracted. I see it everywhere—and I feel it myself. Being human is hard. Trying to make a living. Trying to care for the people you love. Trying to meet your obligations, pay the bills, and somehow still take care of yourself.

But what if I told you one of the simplest ways to care for yourself is to just be here.
Now.
Right now.
Right now.
Right now.

Time is always moving—but you get to recognize it if you just. Stop.
Just for a moment.

Feel your breath for a second.
Hear the sound around you—birds, traffic, silence.
Notice the light, the way your body feels in your chair, the beating of your heart.
You're here. And that matters.

I know it feels like you need to move faster. But your mind is tricking you. Your life is already moving—and before you know it, the 1990s will still feel like 10 years ago, but you’ll look in the mirror and see someone who’s 50, 60, 70. Or, if you’re one of the lucky ones, 80+—wondering where the time went.

My mom didn’t make it to 69. And I promise you—she was young.

I hope you give yourself the gift of paying attention.
There is so much beauty. So much love.
I hope you let yourself notice it all.
I hope you do this—for you.

Because life isn’t just about surviving. It’s about witnessing.
And I hope you witness your own life fully while you still can.

Time is fleeting.
Love is not.
Be here for it.