Everyday Miracles.

I want to share something that happened last week. Something extraordinary. And yet, had I been too busy to notice, the moment would have simply slipped away.

It was a day like many others. Nothing special about it at all. Roger and I had just finished our workouts and were popping in to grab coffee at Starbucks. As we pulled in to the parking lot, Roger chose–purposefully– to park next to a brand new, matte black Ducati motorcycle. As we stepped out of our vehicle, he stopped to admire it. I walked ahead and saw a man sitting alone at an outdoor table, sipping his iced coffee, helmet resting beside him. He had a friendly look on his face, the beginnings of a smile, and I asked if it was his bike. He lit up. By then, Roger was within earshot, and I motioned to him to come over, letting the man know that Roger was a big fan of motorcycles. He and Roger started talking about the bike, and before we knew it, we were engaged in conversation, learning about this man’s life.

And THAT is when the miracle occurred.

He shared that he was in the military and that he and his family (his wife and teenage kids) had recently moved from western Canada to Ottawa. We talked about how tough it is to move to a new city as a teen (I shared a little about my struggle with moving away from Ottawa at age 14); my battle with alcohol addiction; his desire to inspire his kids to be the best they can be; war and its impact on mental health; gratitude; PTSD; consumerism; and raising healthy kids in the digital age. Roger and I left the conversation feeling incredibly humbled and fortunate to be able to delve into such REAL topics, and we left feeling incredibly blessed by such an honest exchange with a perfect stranger.

His motorcycle was the catalyst.

It was all we needed to create a common bond between us.

It was that easy.

But we needed to be awake to seize that moment!

Because–just as easily–we could have been busy talking to each other, totally unaware that our brother–a member of our human family–was struggling a little and needed the chance to vent; share; breathe; BE.

Had we been focused solely on ourselves, or if I’d been checking my phone–head down and totally not present–then that precious moment would have been wholly missed.

I am so glad we didn’t miss it.

So was he.

The next day, the man reached out to me on Facebook to express his gratitude for our willingness to connect more authentically in that moment. He shared that although riding his motorcycle is his “release valve”, opening up and sharing with us had allowed him to release in a way that also connected him to humanity; riding solo simply can’t do that.

The lessons, for me, were many. The exchange served as a reminder that we are not supposed to do this life alone; that we learn in relationship with one another.

We are not supposed to have it all together, posting only our highlights while pretending we don’t also feel REAL darkness; REAL pain; REAL shame; REAL hurt; REAL fear.

And REAL beauty.

The beauty of life–to me–is in the sharing of it, with others. Being able to share my life and struggles and triumphs and hardships here with you has been my release valve over the years. It’s also been my olive branch and I am always so deeply grateful when something I’ve written resonates and I get to hear about YOUR life; YOUR struggles; YOUR triumphs.

Mostly, though, the lesson that resonated the strongest for me was wrapped around being in the present moment.

Because it is all we ever truly have.

And I can’t help but wonder how much life I’ve missed by lamenting the past or worrying about the future rather than being right here–in the present moment–treating it as I would a precious gift.

Because it is. It really, truly is.

Life is a gift. And it happens in moments. We can find ourselves hearing this as rhetoric, but it’s the only real truth. The ONLY time we have is right now; this very moment. And we get to choose how we will use it.

This gift.

The present.

Let us all seek out ways to feel more connected to one another. I’ve shared many times that I am huge fan of giving compliments. It’s an easy way to get a conversation started. “Great boots!”, “Love your hair!”, “That hat looks fabulous on you!”, and sometimes, even, “Is that your bike?”

Because if the stars align and the moment is just right, then two souls might just be lucky enough to recognize the presence in each other.

And perfect strangers can teach you exactly what you needed to learn in that moment.

And you can remember that you are never, ever alone.

Because I want you to love your life one bite at a time.

P.S. My favourite teacher is Oprah because she is responsible for introducing me to so many other incredible teachers, including Eckhart Tollé (pronounced Toll-Ay). If you are interested in learning more about staying connected to the present moment–and why it’s important to do so–then I hope you listen to this Super Soul Conversation. 

P.P.S. If you’d like to stay present with your body then you might enjoy my 14 Days of Wellness. Simply enter your name and email address here. It’s free, with no diets, products, challenges or catches (you’ll just start getting a Tuesday email from me and you can unsubscribe at any time). I’d love to stay connected. xo

P.P.P.S. Let’s be friends! I’d love to connect socially on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram.