Sometimes as we race through life, trying to get to the next great adventure, we miss all of the little things that matter. We are so caught up in being caught up that we forget to take a step back and really look around. We forget what it means to appreciate, to take it all in, and to really live.

Life was never meant to be a game of "who did it better." Life is supposed to be simply about living. We all have our different definitions of what it means to live and how we want to live. But what about those completely unforgettable forgettable moments. You know, the types of moments where you look up and see the golden rays of light shining through the moving green leaves and it takes you to another time and place. We pass it on. We forget about, and we keep going because we expect to see that light and those trees every day during the golden hour. Then as each day passes we keep thinking the same thing: "Oh, I'll see it tomorrow. I'm busy right now." Slowly, we miss every magical moment. Or we see the magical moment and we whip out our phones to document it and instead of appreciating the natural beauty and seeing all of the different hues and movements, we see a still digitalized image.

Just like with our friends. We whip out our phones and look at the moments through a screen. We don't actually remember them because they are sitting right there in your hand. Instead of picturing our friends laughter or giggles, just look at it. Listen to it; sound is completely different played back than in person. And so is seeing their sloppy smiles.

We lose ourselves to these images, and to what we think others might like. We get so lost on this path to adulthood, or social climbing, or finding ourselves that we never really reach it. Social media isn't a sin just like your air conditioning isn't a sin. It's fun and can make you feel really good, but there's nothing quite like sitting next to a lake or a tree or your friends and just taking it all in. Just feeling the magical moments that are really what make you who you are.

We take a lot from these little moments, whether we realize it or not. Our minds are constantly in motion, analyzing and observing the world around us. But even though our minds still take it in, it is calming and almost zen-like to just sit and view it all. To picture what your mind be picturing and to take it all in. Big adventures are great, they are memorable. They give us stories to tell and memories to look back on. But these little moments, like just appreciating what you have and who you have, can really be the defining factors.

So please, every once in a while, just remember to keep in touch.