I saw this quote yesterday. I haven’t read the book it comes from although now I will. I just sat staring at it. It felt true, incredibly sad but also inspiring. I found myself thinking about moments and how easily you can let them slip by. The biggest hurdle for me is fear. I suppose it is for most of us. Fear makes us let moments slip by but afterwards we regret letting it. We usually can’t get the moment back though. We can’t have a do-over.
Maybe this is why I like being a writer so much. I can create moments and how characters respond to them. It’s far harder in real life. It’s easy for me to tell my characters what they should do, it’s even easy for me to tell other people in real life what they should do but it’s never easy to take my own advice. I know that sometimes I just let moments pass when I should grab hold of them and make them mine.
This next quote seemed a fitting conclusion to this conversation. This book I have read and like most books about first loves there is a fairytale quality to these words but I still love the idea of having such a moment in real life. One where you don’t let it go but let it wash over you, knowing that it has the power to change everything but also nothing because you will hold on to it forever.
I can’t promise that I’ll let my fear go in the future but I’m going to try to recognise moments when they come along and do my best to turn them into bigger and brighter ones. At least I can try not to let them slip though my fingers as I’ve done in the past. But if this fails at least I can have happy endings in my books.
Do you ever let moments pass and regret it afterwards?
Victoria
xoxo
limebirdwriters
/ January 14, 2013Always!
Victoria-writes
/ January 14, 2013Phew, not just me
Tori Nelson
/ January 14, 2013I didn’t really think much of moments until I became a mom. I find myself watching some one-of-a-kind scene unfold, the boy imagining a rock castle, a perfectly rowdy game of kickball, and I get a little breathless. I’m starting to realize that I get those little snapshots once!
Victoria-writes
/ January 14, 2013Aw that’s lovely Tori. I’m sure those moments will stay with you forever!
faultlessfinish
/ January 14, 2013Thanks for this post
All we ever have are moments, but for some reason it can be so difficult to recognize the beauty in each one. We need to practice becoming constantly aware of each moment, for each moment is our life.
Victoria-writes
/ January 15, 2013Beautifully put Rachel, thank you!
kitkat1126
/ January 18, 2013This response so beautifully put into words how I wanted to respond to this post. I love the idea that each moment is our life.
faultlessfinish
/ January 18, 2013Thank you!
Victoria-writes
/ January 22, 2013Rachel is a wise one
Lisa Wields Words
/ January 14, 2013I think we all do, because sometimes we don’t recognize the moments until we look at them in hindsight.
Victoria-writes
/ January 15, 2013So true and then the moment has already gone.
kford2007
/ January 14, 2013Thank you for such a lovely post. I try to teach this to my kids. Live each moment to the fullest because they’re gone as fast as they arrived.
Victoria-writes
/ January 15, 2013You’re welcome Jenny. That’s a great thing to teach.
susielindau
/ January 14, 2013I am too impulsive to let moments pass! Hahaha! There are some that I should have let slip by!
Victoria-writes
/ January 15, 2013Haha I’m jealous, I need to be more impulsive!
redjim99
/ January 14, 2013So many people are looking reflectively at themselves at the moment, in the transition time that is January.
Jim
Victoria-writes
/ January 15, 2013It’s true, it can be a depressing month
racheldeangelis
/ January 15, 2013I love the Sarah Dessen quote about true love (for whatever reason, I STILL haven’t read a Sarah Dessen book, even though my female students are endlessly singing her praises…I need to give her a try!). I remember the moment that I looked at my husband and realized that he was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with…and I was terrified, because we weren’t even dating yet! We were just friends at the time! I actually wrote an essay about it for an Article and Essay class that I was taking during my undergrad. Maybe someday I’ll be brave enough to post it on my blog…but I’ve never published anything like that online because it feels SO personal.
Victoria-writes
/ January 15, 2013Aw that’s so sweet, I’d love to hear the story one day!
Brian B. King
/ January 15, 2013I used to reget passing moments, until I turned around and saw another one staring at me. Now, I try to see the moment in everything, and not because I’m afraid to miss them, but because I know I will miss them. This is a moment right here and didn’t miss it. Don’t get me wrong though, some passing moments impact me greater than others.
Can you see this moment?
Victoria-writes
/ January 16, 2013I think you just have to make sure you don’t knowingly let one slip by you due to fear. Make sure the ones that mean the most are the ones you hold on to.
Pany
/ January 15, 2013I’m always missing the important parts of life, which is why I try to focus on moments. But, yes, I do sometimes not appreciate moments which need to be appreciated. Great post
.
Victoria-writes
/ January 16, 2013I think sometimes we can have out eyes so much on the future we miss things happening right now. Thanks Pany!
sillymexox0
/ January 16, 2013Could relate to both the quotes. Happens to me all the time! :/
Victoria-writes
/ January 17, 2013Thanks!
xjustanotherteenblogger
/ January 16, 2013I used to feel that way, like I was just letting the day slip by without seizing the moments I so badly wanted to. Maybe it’s because I’m a little uncertain of myself, maybe it’s just because I’m painfully shy at times. I don’t know what it is but now that I have a tattoo of ‘carpe diem’ I’ll have a constant reminder to seize the day and not let moments pass by again :]
Victoria-writes
/ January 17, 2013I totally understand feeling uncertain of yourself, I get that too
Your tattoo is great, mine is “Believe” and that helps me too!
4amWriter
/ January 17, 2013Oh yes, I used to always let moments go because of the fear that went along with that ‘unknown’. I try not to do that anymore though.
Victoria-writes
/ January 17, 2013Hopefully I’ll learn to do the same
countingducks
/ January 17, 2013Both quotes resonated with me. In time “moments” can end up being some our most precious possesions, or they have mine anyway
Victoria-writes
/ January 17, 2013Thanks Peter. I think you’re right
Kourtney Heintz
/ January 18, 2013Definitely let things pass more when I was younger. Before I realized opportunities don’t keep presenting themselves and sometimes what is in your grasp today is gone tomorrow. A painful lesson to learn. But it propelled me to act more than I used to.
Victoria-writes
/ January 22, 2013This is so true. I need to learn this more and be more like you!
thoughtsappear
/ January 30, 2013I love these quotes!
I do regret letting stuff pass me by. I think regret means I learned to not let it happen again.
Victoria-writes
/ January 31, 2013Thanks! I’m going to try and do the same!