I Decided to LIVE… And I’m Still Living
There was a time in my life when four little words carried more meaning than I could ever explain.
I Decided to LIVE.
They weren’t simply words of encouragement or something I’d read in a book.
They were a decision.
A decision made after years of experiences that had left their mark on my life. A decision that, despite everything I’d been through, my story wasn’t finished.
I didn’t know what the years ahead would bring. I certainly didn’t have a wonderful plan laid out before me.
But I knew I wanted to live.
And looking back now, I realise that making that decision was only the beginning.
Life Didn’t Suddenly Become Easy
Deciding to live didn’t mean that every difficulty disappeared.
There were still challenges, disappointments, unexpected changes and moments when I wondered what on earth life was going to throw at me next.
But there were also opportunities I could never have imagined.
I wrote a book. I met people whose stories touched my heart. I discovered new interests, learnt new skills, laughed until my sides hurt and found reasons to be grateful in places I hadn’t expected.
And along the way, I began to understand something.
Living isn’t simply about the number of years we’re given. It’s about what we do with the moments within those years.
A Holiday, a Journey and a Little Reminder
Recently, my son Shannon and I travelled through North Queensland, spending time around Atherton, Mareeba, Cairns and Kuranda.
We’d planned places to visit and things to see, but some of my favourite memories weren’t necessarily the big attractions.
They were the little things.
Sandwiches packed for the drive. Quiet stretches of road. Conversations that wandered from one subject to another. Laughing together over the silliest things.
Meeting my friend Lids in person for the first time was another beautiful part of the holiday. We’d known each other from a distance, but sharing time together, talking, laughing and simply enjoying one another’s company was something special.
There were waterfalls, beautiful scenery, new experiences, and moments when I found myself looking around and thinking how blessed I was to be here.
Not rushing towards the next destination.
Just being here.
And somewhere amongst those experiences, a thought came to me.
“Living is about stopping and taking in what is right here, right now.”
Those words have stayed with me.
The Moments We Might Otherwise Miss
I think it’s easy to become so focused on what comes next that we overlook what’s happening around us.
We have places to go, things to finish, responsibilities to attend to, and plans waiting for our attention.
And yes, I’m quite capable of getting caught up in all of that myself!
But that holiday reminded me how much joy there can be in an ordinary moment.
A conversation. A shared laugh. A beautiful view. A quiet cup of coffee. Being with someone you love.
We don’t have to travel hundreds of kilometres to experience those things, either.
They’re often right there in our everyday lives.
We just need to notice them.
Those Words Still Mean Everything
When I first decided to live, I couldn’t have imagined all the experiences that would follow.
And I certainly couldn’t have imagined sitting here years later, writing about a holiday with my son and smiling at the memories we’d made.
But that’s part of what makes life so precious to me.
There is still so much to experience, so much to learn, and so much love to give and receive.
I know life isn’t always easy. I’ve lived long enough to understand that.
But I also know that even after the most difficult chapters, there can be beautiful pages still waiting to be written.
And by the Grace of God, I’m still here to write some of them.
I Decided to LIVE.
And today, those words mean more to me than ever.
Because living isn’t only about surviving what happened yesterday or planning what might happen tomorrow.
“Living is about stopping and taking in what is right here, right now.”
Love, Narelle x