Today is April 2 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How often do you notice the present moment?”
Personal commitments, professional obligations, and a variety of other issues can easily distract us from the present moment.
The past often reminds us of missed opportunities, poor choices, or times we wish we can reclaim.
The future instills fear, remains unknown, and can paralyze us. It’s no surprise then that noticing the present moment is a challenging task.
But Norma Jean Bauerschmidt did just that once she was diagnosed with uterine cancer and told by her doctor that surgery, radiation and chemotherapy were unlikely to treat the illness.
After the doctor asked her what she wanted to do Norma Jean, "a tiny woman at 101 pounds and under five-feet tall, looked the young doctor dead in the eye and with the strongest voice she could muster, said, 'I’m 90-years-old, I’m hitting the road.'" For the next 12 months Ms Bauerschmidt set off from Michigan with her son Tim, daughter-in-law Ramie and their dog Ringo. They drove their RV nearly 13,000 miles and slept in over 75 different locations in 32 states.
As Ramie wrote “Over these past 12 months, all of us have learned so much about living, caring, loving and embracing the present moment; no matter where we are, when asked where her favorite spot has been on this trip, Norma replied “Right here!”
In August 2016 Ms Bauerschmidt began hospice care in the town of Friday Harbour, San Juan Island, Washington - her final stop - when her health began to deteriorate. She died a few weeks later.
American playwright Tennessee Williams noted “Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going.”
At the end of her life Norma Jean Bauerschmidt was able to catch the present moment.
How often do you notice the present moment?