Life is like that……

• full of those muse-able momentous moments
• those amusable ones that leave us smiling
• those hilariously whatever moments that leave us helpless with laughter
• and of course all those other moments that bring on tears of sadness or joy, or enrage us
• or those magical ones that simply bring us that feeling that life is wonderful

……because life is like that after all!

I try to make a note of such moments whenever I can in my “daily” journal

Life is Like That

Sprinklings of Moments

(A)musable Moments

When…

My DH got into the car and just relaxed for a minute before heading back home. Suddenly, the passenger side door opened and an Asian lady got in! Before he could react (in shock, of course), another person followed her into the back seat.

Now, he is a comedian, my DH; so he enacted his reaction to us. He was screaming – in surprise, a little fear, and loads of confusion at the two who got in. He wondered if he was being adult-napped or robbed or worse. But then he looked closer; he realized that they were both older – one woman and one man – and frailer as well. And they looked equally or more worse off than him.

When they could finally get a word in, the lady mentioned to him – we thought you were our lyft driver!

Note: this happened pre-pandemic, and I wonder how it would have been if it happened now, masked strangers and all.

Muse-able Moments

I recall the trip I made to India in April 2018. My dad has just been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer and I wanted to be there for him, and for my family. As I wondered if I would be alone in my row of seats and thinking if it was good or bad, a young lady occupied the aisle seat. While I am normally chatty, it took me a while to get started on any conversation with her. And when she heard why I was making the trip, she suddenly asked me if I minded if she prayed for my dad. She held my hand, and said a prayer hoping for the best.

Later, she told me that she was part of a missionary group headed to Vietnam (I think) but somehow had not been able to get seated with the rest of her group. She had ended up next to me, and somehow had felt that there is where she needed to be when she saw me first. So there we were, two people from widely different backgrounds and cultures; and those few hours when we talked to each other and learned more about each other; the moments she consciously prayed for my dad – they were momentous indeed.

And Then Life’s Myriad Moments

Then there are all those other moments; like when my then 3 yo came home from preschool and introduced me to Katy Perry’s Firework, or my son as a little tot asked me when I was I guess tired or upset about something, “What can I do to make you feel better?” And then these trips down memory lane bring back myriad magical momentous (a)muse-able moments.

A Life is Like That Pic-chuckle

The Inspiration

My inspiration for this post and its title came from Reader’s Digest’s popular column of the same name. As many of you know, I was a voracious reader as a child (well, that has not changed now); and while I of course devoured comics and books, magazines were another favorite reading material for me. These ranged from popular children’s magazines in India at that time like Champak, Chandamama or Target (to name a few), to magazines my parents read, including Reader’s Digest, India Today, Women’s Era and so many more. Oh yes, then there was Misha too!!

Note: Those in the US may know this column as Life in These United States; , it is Life’s Like That in many other countries (including India, where I grew up).

Check out this Reader’s Digest page for more life’s like that moments to make you smile.

Life is Like That: Full of Magical Moments

Making a note of life’s moments is certainly meditative in itself, and as so many of us continue to stay home due to the pandemic, remember to take time to be in the moment. For,

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” — Maya Angelou

Invest in those moments, for those moments become memories and collected together, part of your legacy too.

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” — Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel)

We might not know when all this will end, or what the new normal will be like in a post-pandemic world, or even what the results of the elections here in the US will be. But there is a silver lining somewhere always; let us look for that. (And talking of elections, don’t forget to vote – for those in the US of course; but even everywhere else when you have to)

“With uncertainty, there is never a dull moment.” ― Haresh Sippy

And all this time we have with loved ones means that this is certainly our chance to create those breath-taking magical moments as well.

“Life is about the moments: Don’t wait for them, create them!” -Tony Robbins

9 Ideas to Create those Life is Like That Moments

Even with the pandemic keeping us home and most likely unable to meet family or friends in person, we can still create those magical moments. Here are some ideas.

Daily/Weekly Family Rituals

Have a weekly game night or movie night; have dinner together; watch the news or an episode from a series (we have watched Monk, Psych, Kid’s Baking Championship, Good Luck Charlie, and more together over the years)

Create Family Traditions

Just like they have a national day for just about everything, make up a list of family days to celebrate each family member (and their quirks) apart from the birthdays. Have a “read like mommy day” or “celebrate DD day”. Come up with an annual family celebration – uniquely yours.

Spend Time Outside

Go on a hike, a nature walk, have a picnic in your backyard, or spend time gardening together

Food, of Course

Cook, and of course, eat together. We have done a lot of cooking together over the last few months, and discovered that we can make do, reuse and repurpose items to come up with something new.

Start a Family Book Club

For those in your home, and you can easily extend it by having other family members who want to join virtually! Pick a book and read it together. And while you are at it, do some creative writing together too. I know we enjoyed it during the summer.

Have Conversations

Share your childhood stories with others in your family, ask questions (I discovered this cool set of conversation decks for parents and children recently), extend the conversations to conduct interviews with older family members (trust me, you will not regret this)

Create Something Together

A new recipe (to use when you cook together), a family art project (a painting, a garden sculpture), music, a recording of a book you read together. Ignore the mess, enjoy the process!

Do the Unexpected

Say yes when you want to say no! Like playing that popular online game as a family (one current example for me – Among Us!) Take turns to plan a day, and do whatever Simon says for the day. Ignore the chores, the messes can wait, ignore the gloomy weather, and turn the day around with a little bit of imagination.

Forget the Plan

And sometimes, magical moments happen purely by chance; when they do, throw out the plans and simply revel in the moment.

“Live for the moments you can’t put into words.” — Clo Mailen

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And Now, the End of This Post

Dear reader, I am sure you have all had many moments that made you say – life is like that after all! I would love to hear some of those – maybe you can have a post and link it back here; or simply share below in the comments.