Mac AndersonI once heard someone say, "We don’t remember days; we remember moments." However, at today’s hectic pace we often forget to savor small pleasures while we make big plans.

In the race to be better or best, we sometimes lose sight of "just being." And just being, just soaking in and savoring a beautiful moment, can provide some of life’s greatest pleasures. A crackling fire on a cold winter night, a good book, a love letter from your spouse, a spectacular sunset, a great meal, or a timeless moment with your child or a friend…these moments, if we stop long enough to enjoy, are the essence of life.

I love to fish, especially for large-mouth bass. About three years ago I was watching television late one night and got this crazy notion to go fishing in the lake behind my house. Of course my wife thought I was nuts. It was almost midnight!

I convinced her I was sane and took off. I walked out to a warm summer breeze and looked up at the starry sky and breathtaking full moon. I allowed my senses to soak in every second- the sweet smell of honey suckle, the sound of every cricket and bullfrog, the moon’s reflection dancing off the water- it was a perfect night.

After walking across a small field, I took out a flashlight, and selected a lure. On my first cast I reeled in a bass weighing over five pounds, one of the largest I had ever caught. I gently released it back into the water and continued my midnight adventure. During the next two hours I caught seventeen bass, all between two and five pounds. Although I’ve fished for almost fifty years, no fishing memory can top that warm summer night.

But that night provided far more than a fishing memory. It was a life memory. It provided me a snapshot of what life could be like if I just slowed down enough to savor the moments. On my way back to the house, as I walked through the tall grass, I took one last look at the sky and stopped to say, "Thank You, God, for giving me this night."