The importance of connecting

Sometimes we take our loved ones so for granted. We may live side by side but never deeply connect. It's so easy to do because we're all so busy.

I remember when my youngest son told me after his father and I had divorced that it really changed how he experienced his time with me. "Before when we were together, I wasn't completely aware of you. We each did our own thing—our work or play. But now when we're together, we're really together, Mom. And I really pay attention to you," he told me.

I'll never forget that. Pretty good insight for a young boy (he was only 12 at the time!), I thought. I still think of it often today—when I reflect on my time with family and friends. Am I only half there? Or am I all there and present? It's so easy to be preoccupied with other things, isn't it? And then we miss precious opportunities for connecting.

Pay attention today to how present you are with others. Really try to be there. Try to really listen, to really savor the moments, to really appreciate the other. You'll be so glad you did. Your moments will be even more precious than ever.