I grew up in a home really close to downtown Fort Worth. Every night of the weekend during July there is a firework show at botanical gardens, and I was lucky enough to be able to watch it from my yard with my dad. These were some of my earliest childhood memories, and while I remember being in awe of the fireworks; I can still vividly remember the silence after the show. We would wait and see if the show was over so we wouldn’t miss a thing, quietly waiting for any signs that there was more to come. As I got older I started to notice how it was some universal moment. It was like the whole world froze, still in awe of what they witnessed. Like a breath we all breathed before snapping back to reality.
Now I know this is cliche, but it is up to us to savor every second of every minute of our lives. Nobody else can do that for us. Far too often we look at the big picture, and miss the small nuances that give us the opportunity to see just how wonderful life really is. We get so caught up in the fireworks life has to offer, that we neglect the beauty of the quiet, of the stillness. I believe that while big moments can be fantastic; it’s the small moments that give you purpose. What’s the point of living life if you only feel when big things are happening? If you are always looking for big moments you’ll never feel satisfied or fulfilled. You’ll be forever chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and forgetting to pay attention to what life already has to offer.
When you get stuck in a routine or constantly chasing bigger and better things then suddenly days, and weeks, and months, turn into years that are just going by. You look back on your life and it just feels empty because you just went through the motions. I believe in the silence after fireworks, as silly as it may seem. In all reality, I believe in the power of the ordinary.
