I once heard someone say, “We don’t remember days; we remember moments.” However, at today’s hectic pace we often forget to savour small pleasures while we make big plans. In the race to be better or best, we sometimes lose sight of “just being.” And just being, just soaking in and savouring a beautiful moment, can provide some of life’s greatest pleasures.

I love to fish, especially for large-mouth bass. About three years ago I was watching television late on night and got this crazy notion to go fishing in the lake behind my house. I walked out to a warm summer breeze and looked up at the starry sky and breathtaking full moon. I allowed my senses to soak in every second — the sweet smell of honeysuckle, the sound of every cricket and bullfrog, the moon’s reflection dancing off the water — it was a perfect night.

On my first cast I reeled in a bass weighing over five pounds, one of the largest I had ever caught. During the next two hours I caught 17 bass, all between two and five pounds. Although I’ve fished for almost 50 years, no fishing memory can top that warm summer night.

But that night provided far more than a fishing memory. It was a life memory. It provided me a snapshot of what life could be like if I just slowed down enough to savour the moments.

On my way back to the house, as I walked through the tall grass, I took one

last look at the sky and stopped to say, “Thank You, God, for giving me this night.” — Beliefnet.com