by Lata Gwalani

Created on: December 24, 2008

Capture the moment

It was one of those usually hectic workday mornings. I was seamlessly slipping from one chore into another, checking off each finished item on my mental to-dos list. I kept myself from glancing at the wall clock that threateningly ticked on. I was just in time to get ready for a quick shower and breakfast. "Good", I praised myself for my efficiency, as I moved past my son's bedroom. The door was ajar, and I caught a glimpse of him sprawled on his bed, one hand outstretched.

Something caught in my throat. I longed to slip into bed beside him and hold him tight in my arms. My heart whispered to me, "go on, just do it." And, I listened to my heart! In a minute I was lying beside my 14 year-old son, whispering in his ear, "Good morning, Sagar". He opened his eyes, smiled into my face and circled his arms around me. "Oh mom, I love you", he said sleepily. "It's been so long since you did this, isn't it?" he said

I felt that same feeling in my throat again. "Oh he remembers those days," I thought to myself chokingly. "Yes, beta (son in Hindi, India's national language), it's been a long time," I sighed and happily settled back more comfortably. From the moment I felt this urge to hug him right up to this moment, only five minutes had elapsed, but the joy lasted a million moments.

The feeling lingered all day. As I rode to work, as I paused between work, as I nibbled my lunchmy spirit was elevated.

I knew it then, that I had been emotionally intelligent today.

We go from day to day, month to month and year to year, not knowing how many such endearing and enduring moments we let go by. When I analyse my action, I realise that those five minutes did not delay me terribly that morning. I realised that the hurry sickness' was in my mind. In my hurry to get things done on time', I had been putting off many such important prized moments of my life. I always used to think, when I have more time, I will or when I am done with this chore, I will", only to realise, things never happened that way. And, of course, all these unfulfilled feelings slipped into the already overflowing emotional baggage I was lugging around all the time.

Living in the moment is one of the many ways we can be emotionally intelligent in our daily lives intelligent in our daily lives.

Today, I gave in to the urge, the moment of ecstasy, and nothing untoward happened in my day. Instead, I was more upbeat. My son and I had shared five precious minutes, which I am sure both of us will keep etched in memory for a long, long time.

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