Today's quote is from American author Betty Smith and her 1943 semi-autobiographic novel "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn". These are words of advice given to main character Francie from her grandmother. Francie is closing an important chapter in her life as she prepares to go off to college. But in this final moment, she becomes nostalgic over the past. She recalls her grandmother's words in an effort to slow down the present. She takes in every detail, creating photograph in her mind, trying to capture the moment before it's lost forever.

In a world filled with progress and technology, Smith's words resonate more profoundly now than they did when she wrote them over 80 years ago. It is so important for us to slow down and recognize all the life has to offer at this very moment. Even the day's most mundane moments can offer us some beauty and hope, the taste of strong coffee, the sound of birds singing in the morning, the smell of freshly cut grass from an open window. Sometimes we forget to stop and take in these small details that make life so unique and special. It's easy to spend our energy dwelling about our past mistakes or worrying about what tomorrow will hold, but all we have is now. Learning to see it as though it were the first or last time is the best way to hold on to life's sweet and simple pleasures.