Live in the moment

     This weekend I not only stood up as the “old” Maid of Honor for my younger sister’s wedding, but I gained one heck of a brother-in-law and extended family!

     My sister and I attended the Maquoketa Valley School District all through our school years, as did the groom. We all grew up in Earlville. The groom is a year older than I am, a year ahead of me in school, so with more than half of the wedding guests living in the MV district or having attended school with us, it felt like a mini MV school reunion. It was great!

     So this week’s column isn’t necessarily about my sister’s amazing wedding; the theme is about living in the moment.

     With so many people of different generations spending so much time on their smart phones and social media, there comes a time where we just need to take a break and step away.

     As people were ushered into the church for the wedding, a large sign next to the wedding programs simply asked wedding attendees to turn off their cell phones, to let the professional photographer and videographer do what they were paid to do, and to just sit back and enjoy the service. Before the service began, the pastor even asked everyone to turn their phones off and absorb the moment.

     We are constantly consumed by text messages, Facebook, Snapchat and more. During some moments in life, especially at weddings, it’s important to step away.

     I’ll be honest, it’s easier said than done, but that’s exactly what I did Friday night during the rehearsal and all day Saturday. I didn’t bother with checking my notifications, unless of course it seemed to be important. I regret not capturing certain memories of the wedding day, but I will forever cherish those memories in my head than through my phone.

     I’m the type of person that likes to take in the atmosphere around me and do so through my lens (whether it’s my phone or a real camera). When my mom and I spent a week in Washington, D.C. a year ago in April, I can’t tell you how many photos I took… More than I can count. And I’ll look back on those photos and remember our special trip. However, photos and video only capture so much.

     And when we’re hidden behind our cameras/phones we miss a lot. Life is full of surprises, and if you’re not being present, you’ll miss those as well.

     Our phones and social media seem to consume a large portion of our lives. Someone texts you, and you want to immediately check your text messages to make sure it’s not an emergency (or to not leave people hanging). You get a Facebook notification, and you want to find out what people have shared or said about you. Someone sends you a SnapChat and you have to check it to see how funny it is. All of this time checking your phone or social media accounts adds up.

     I thoroughly enjoyed my sister’s wedding unplugged, as they say. I danced my butt off that my legs are killing me days later. If I must say (and per many people’s comments), I gave one heck of a hilarious sister-of-the-bride speech. (I wrote it three days before the wedding. Nothing like procrastinating. But I work better under pressure.) I visited and talked with so many friends and family we don’t see that often (though now regret not getting a photo taken with them). I just relaxed, took the wedding day in, and lived in the moment.

     So the next time you’re part of a family event, taking in a major milestone in someone’s life (or your own), or going on a vacation trip, ENJOY IT! Take a few minutes to capture some things on your camera, but then sit back and be in the moment when you may never get the chance again.