June 29, 2003 - 11:58 p.m.
"Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." --Roald Dahl
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I was reading some old journal entires (from my personal, handwritten book, not the online version I share with all of you) and I couldn't help but notice one of the pages upon which I planned out all the things that would be good about this summer. I wrote about seeing old friends and getting to know new people and how amazing this would be and how much fun that would be and blah, blah, blah. But many of the things to which so many lines of handwriting were devoted turned out to be only semi-wonderful and nothing even close the level of anticipation I had.
What I discovered in place of those "wonderful" memories that had yet to happen, were simpler things I could never have seen coming. This morning, I had breakfast at McDonalds, and then ran errands after church. Mundane things, yes, but great conversation along the way. Tonight, I heard a friend speak in his church about happiness and the word of God, and watched as his father looked on proudly. After church, another friend tackled me, which doesn't sound wonderful, but coming from him, it's a great compliment. At the same time he was doing that, two of the greatest people in my life were on the phone telling me they're engaged. Engaged. Wow.
So my point is this: life's good moments -- the things I should be looking forward to -- are those which I can in no way anticipate, and that's the way it should be. Life's beauty comes not in the things on our calendars, but rather the surprises and magical moments that show up unannounced. Living is not about planning memories, but enjoying them as they happen. If "all the world's a stage," as Shakespeare said, then happiness is born in the wings and only later shows up under the spotlights. If you only focus on the details of life, you'll never understand the whole picture.
Roald was right.
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