I went to the mountains this weekend. Just a short drive away, but that physical getaway helped me slow down, break my routine, refocus on what's around me. I sat on the deck Sunday morning with the kids, eating muffins and fresh blueberries and strawberries, and I started singing the classic song from 10,000 Maniacs, "These are Days" - Remember it?

"These are days you’ll remember

Never before and never since, I promise

Will the whole world be warm as this

And as you feel it, You’ll know it’s true

That you are blessed and lucky

It’s true that you

Are touched by something

That will grow and bloom in you"

(photo by burcindrummer) 

This One I Will Remember

And I thought - a lot has happened this weekend. Lots of driving around, lots of eating, wandering, laughing, having fun, lots of moments colliding into one another, washing together in a way that makes them hard to look back and pick out. But THIS. This single moment of strawberries and mountain air, of wind in the trees, dappled sun, the wood of the deck beneath me, and my childrens' laughter - this one I will remember. I decided that I want to be more deliberate about this remembering thing. Rather than letting these days wash together until they're hazy, is there a way - some decision, some keyword, some focus point that will let me draw out these experiences in clarity? In short, how can I make days to remember? I think it has something to do with pulling all the straggling strands of thought together and really applying our incredible power for paying attention - for recording detail.{...}

Maybe some of the answer is in my first sentence - breaking routine, refocusing, slowing down.

Looking around.

Paying attention.

Being deliberate.

Breathing in and out.

There will never be this moment again - and rather than mourn, we can celebrate its uniqueness. Savor it like we savor an incredible meal.

Speaking of Incredible Meals...

Think about the last time you went out to a fancy dinner. I mean a really fancy one. Perhaps it was steak, or lobster. Whatever it was, I'm willing to bet you savored it - not only because it was undoubtedly delicious, but maybe because it was expensive, too. ;) Remember those first slow, deliberate bites, eyes closed - feeling the texture in your mouth, tasting the levels of flavor? Perhaps the satisfied sigh as you swallowed. Man, I can't remember the last time I really paid attention to a meal like that, but this reminds me to. :) But this isn't all about food, of course.

Time is Our Only Coin to Spend

With time as our only coin to truly spend (says Carl Sandburg), what could be more important than being deliberate about how we spend it? How can we - within our own scope and the constraints laid on us by responsibility - make days to remember? Make them not only memorable and worth remembering, but pay attention enough to remember them at all? Watercolor wash in a painting is beautiful, but only because it contrasts with sharp detail.

What is it about your particular life and situation RIGHT NOW that you can savor? Can you feel sunlight on your face if you step outside and tilt your head to the sky? Are there young people in your life you can overhear and record - laughter, words, songs, milestones? Memorize the details of eyes, fingers, the smell of clean hair? Are there four-legged companions whose constant warmth comforts? Is there something about THIS DAY that you can make memorable? It's the only today you have. The only now - the only coin you have to spend. It's true that you are blessed and lucky.

Your turn. How do you make days to remember? How do you make sure you remember them? And just so you can hear the beautiful song that triggered this, here it is:

And the full lyrics:

These are the days

These are days you’ll remember

Never before and never since, I promise

Will the whole world be warm as this

And as you feel it,

You’ll know it’s true

That you are blessed and lucky

It’s true that you

Are touched by something

That will grow and bloom in you

These are days that you’ll remember

When May is rushing over you

With desire to be part of the miracles

You see in every hour

You’ll know it’s true

That you are blessed and lucky

It’s true that you are touched

By something that will grow and bloom in you

These are days

These are the days you might fill

With laughter until you break

These days you might feel

A shaft of light

Make its way across your face

And when you do

Then you’ll know how it was meant to be

See the signs and know their meaning

It's true

Then you’ll know how it was meant to be

Hear the signs and know they’re speaking

To you, to you