Places We’ve Lived
By: Ted Reardon
Places we used to live or spend time at are still a home, our home, in a way. It’s always a beautiful place. No matter where it is or how it looks now we find peace knowing that we spent time there, knowing that our memories still reside somewhere in and around that place we spent so much time. For me this house in Parma, Ohio is just that home for me. My grandmother lived here and is now gone but the memories are still there. I lived here with her not for long periods of time but, I spent time here. It always makes me happy seeing places I grew up in and around.
They are always different but, in many ways still the same. Funny wherever we live now it’s the same. It’s changing all the same but we don’t always notice it because we are still there and it’s beauty isn’t always seen and thought about because we are focused on other things like family or friends or whatever is going on in our daily lives.
It’s not until we leave our homes that we miss what is right in front of us now. I guess we are all human and that’s how it works. I do think it’s possible though to appreciate the beauty in front of us as we are living through it. It’s not always easy though.
To appreciate things or places or people we first need to slow down and then remember that we are meant to live moment by moment, day by day, week by week. If we learn to do this often we begin to see that there is beauty everywhere and in everyone. Everyday tasks begin to take on new meaning. New appreciations begin to take shape. New present relationships begin to be understood for what they are as they are happening, not when they are gone. New Life begins to happen all around us and we begin to appreciate everything and everyone in it. We begin saying thank you more to others and to God.
Changes begin happening everyday, moment by moment and we see them and say thank you because we are more aware now. Our new appreciations in life and God’s love begin to shape our viewpoints and we feel peaceful. Now, we have a wonderful life to live, not to squander it away. Others are now seen as the same and not different than us. I think all of this is possible all because we slow down, remember our past and where we used to live and say thank you to other’s and to God. Changes can happen then peacefully and we can be present in the moments as they are happening because we realize that life is fleeting and we are now appreciating everyone and everything as a precious gift given by God in this moment to bring us peace.