Take Each Day as

the Gift It Is . . . ‘The Present’

by Tom Anselm

“The past is history, the future’s a mystery, today is a gift. That’s why it’s called ‘The Present.” It’s very likely that you have seen this quote before. So many have used it in commencement speeches, inspirational messages, even used by a priest as a homily at a baptism. The origin is unclear, according to most sources, but it may even date back as far as the 13th Century attributed to a St. Mahar.

It surely came to mind one day a few weeks ago, as I leisurely lounged beneath a blue beach umbrella, bleached white sand between my toes, a cool drink in my tumbler, watching a goodly majority of our family frolicking in the froth that is the Gulf of Mexico off Destin, Florida.

It was our second foray south for an Anselm clan gathering, made more than a bit bittersweet due to a foursome that couldn’t make it.

Mary Pat, Josh and Evelyn were still at home, having undergone a trying month of a difficult birth of their latest progeny, Thomas Paul, born in early June, and fresh out of the intensive care unit. All was well, but no traveling for them.

Funny how things go, really. We were all supposed to be there, but, as it has been said, The Big Travel Planner in the Sky had other ideas. Still, the rest of the gang was able to make it, save one more who couldn’t negotiate her work schedule. And as I looked out on the crowd, I thought of the gift that was our “present.”

Vacations can do that. Here was one kid, scooping out a sandy hole and draping his towel into it for his very own custom-fitting beach lounger. Another few making repeated jaunts into the waves on a boogie board. Still another, unfortunately nursing sunburned and swollen lips, but bravely keeping on. A couple more, just bobbing alongside parents and aunties and uncles, just beyond the breakers, taking it slow.

They all did a daily back-and-forth from the pool to the ocean. The youngest grandy, Ruby, was actually on her second tour of Coral Reef, having logged her first six years ago in the tummy of her mommy. She was like a sand monkey, scurrying back and forth in the foamy surf, digging holes, watching the older kids search for sand fleas in the evenings.

The male elders, frosty cold ones in hand, were tossing Frisbees in the relentless pursuit of knocking empty beer cans off a tall PVC pipe in a unique home-made-up game called, what else . . . Frisbeer. Their female counterparts, just keeping the toes in the surf, soaking up rays, one eye closed and the other open engaged in the true-motherly-game of “Continuous Kid Head Count.”

The Lovely Jill arrived a few days after, having assured herself (at least mostly) that mommy and the new kid on the block were settled in. She was able to drink her coffee on the balcony before the day began, take long walks along the morning beach, later participate in the surf-bobbing and head-counting. Oh, and jumping 15 feet off the hull of the Sea Blaster, for the second trip in a row! How ‘bout that for “Fun Grandma!” I tried like heck to catch a fish off the beach, but the rig I’d bought was way too small, and heck, I hardly can catch anything in a docile pond at home, so the ocean effort was for naught.

However, I’m sure I provided fair amusement for those on the beach, seemingly hiding behind their sunglasses, as they no doubt enjoyed watching me struggle in and out of the waves, several times having, literally, to crawl up the beach as I made my way to safety

There was gathering on the beach later at sunset for family pictures, the soft pink-orange suffusing the skies, kids in matching t-shirts, girls in one set, boys another. Families smiling and messing with each other, pesky kids trying to photo-bomb everyone’s shots. I began to get annoyed with that, until I got The Look from Jill, and, well . . . I paused, took a deep breath to drink it all in, and realized just how lucky we were to be here.

We all had experienced a harrowing time of it a few weeks ago. Though a part of us was missing from the scene, they were home, safe. The remainder . . . we were together, doing our best. And our vow was to recreate this moment with that foursome, soon and very soon.

Moments. The Present.

May we continue to be Gifted with these, as we grow and change and become.

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