Finding Meaning in a Moment

Time can flow together as a young adult, and it’s easy for me to become blinded by the monotonous aspects of my life. A single moment can open my eyes to those things I lose sight of and remind me of what I am grateful to have. These moments are important to me in ways that are hard to explain and always leave me awestruck. I believe that one moment can remind me how great it is to simply be alive.

On day twelve rafting the Grand Canyon, the time I had spent on the river felt like an eternity. The sense of comfort I had with the people around me and the environment I was in was unmatched by any feeling I had ever experienced.

One day, we stopped early and spent the afternoon resting to prepare for Lava Falls the next day. Ever since I could remember I had known about this rapid. It was legendary in the river running community, and although I had seen many pictures of its awesome might, I knew nothing could prepare me for what I would experience the next day. The thought of settling into my boat and resolutely paddling into the current with the roar of whitewater loud in my ears, sent shivers up my spine.

I stepped away from camp as the afternoon ebbed onward and scrambled high up the canyon sides until I stood perched hundreds of feet above the river. Far below lay our camp where the last of the evening sun glanced off the metal framework of a raft. People, tiny as ants, bustled around making last minute preparations for the excitement to come. Beyond stretched the river, huge and slow, winding before disappearing around a curve. It was then that it truly hit me. My breath caught and I realized how unbelievable this experience was. I was able to take note of every intricacy of the spiraling cliff walls around me and see every glistening swirl in the water far below. I sat there until all the sunlight had left the canyon thinking how lucky I was to be appreciating this.

In an instant, all my other feelings were thrown aside in a rush of understanding; an understanding of how wonderful life is and how important it is to enjoy it. Growing up is stressful and it can be easy to lose sight of such a simple fact. School begins to seem overwhelming and life can turn into one hardship after another. Easily, I can take for granted any and all beauty in my life, and I need to be reminded how special the places and people around me really are. Finding the realization that life is to be enjoyed in simple moments is like being dunked in cold water. It is the only way for me to truly wake up and see the world around me.