I have gotten so busy with work, life and other stuff I admit I have lost touch with more important things. During this past year I visited someone in hospice on a regular basis. Although I had a long list of things to do, I turned off my phone while visiting and we talked about things that were important in her life. Her “stuff” wasn’t the first thing on her list to discuss, it was about her life experiences, her art and family. She knew she could no longer enjoy the things she worked so hard to get and those things really didn’t matter to her in the end. It was her family and relationships that mattered.

She peacefully passed away last week and I am very grateful to her for giving me an incredible gift. She taught me without knowing, the art of being present. Being present is being mindful and in the moment without any judgement or expectations. Being present is not thinking about what’s next on your calendar or reading emails and Instagram posts while having dinner. Being present is mindfully doing just one thing at a time and although we think we are good at multi tasking, we really aren’t at all!

Being present is the most generous gift you can give, especially to yourself.