lag in the moment

I hear birds. Leaves bristle with encouraging nudge from the gentle breeze. I look up and see soft hues of white jet stream highlighting the African sky. Familiar sounds of New York are long gone, along with the group of tourists at Times Square.

I am happy to be back, yet I miss the city’s grungy mass of energy.

Are we ever happy in the moment?

Or, is there always a lag? The lag of appreciation. The lag of disappointment. The lag of regret for saying too much or the things unsaid?

Are thank you cards a genius invention to address these fleeting moments?
Thank you for being awesome. Thank you for taking care of me. Thank you for being thoughtful. Thank you for a whole lot of nothing. Thank you for reminding me to be kind, not cruel like you. Thank you for showing me there are bad people like you, so I know how to prepare those under my protection.

Thank you
Family. New and old friends. Strangers.
For your time. Saying hi. Smiling. Frowning. Questioning. Listening. For being alive next to me.