Someday in the future, you’re going to be putting a ton of effort into coordinating all your kids coming home for some family get together. There will be plane tickets to book, conversations to have, little arguments about whose schedule needs the most accommodating. You’ll be frantically cleaning, making trips to the grocery store, pulling out the extra blankets and setting up the spare bed.

You’ll be excited…you’ll be hoping it goes well. You’ll be so happy when everyone is home, when you’re all sitting around the crowded table.

Will it hit you then, in that moment many years from now, that you had that very thing right now? You’re all living under one roof, right now. You’re all sitting at that very table, right now. And what are you doing? You’re on your phone. Or you’re lecturing someone about manners. Or you’re fishing for compliments about the food. Or you’re trying to move things along because you want to go somewhere else or do something else.

As we’ve said a few times recently, right now, you have the thing that your future self will be pining for. You have the thing that you or your spouse might be crying about not having someday. You have what you will miss soon enough.

Why aren’t you acting like it?

P.S. We created our Tempus Fugit challenge medallion to serve as your daily memento of this essential truth. Keep it in your pocket as an anchor when you’re tempted to rush through dinner or skip bedtime stories. Let it remind you to cherish these fleeting moments for the treasures they are. Your future self will thank you.

Get your Tempus Fugit medallion over at the Daily Dad Store today!