Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

Okay, moms, if you read my article two weeks ago, you know that I am striving to remember that life is a journey and not a destination. It’s about finding the beauty in the moment. So, how do we go about doing just that? First on the agenda: slow down.

I know, I know. You’re too busy to slow down, right? I’m with you. But there are some things you just can’t rush through and really appreciate – a sunset, a meaningful conversation, a family vacation. And sushi! Let me explain …

Last week, I was racing around like a crazy woman getting the family ready to go out of town. The car was packed, the house was clean, the errands were complete.

There was just one problem: I was starving! I hadn’t taken time for lunch. I decided to treat myself to a bite of sushi. After all, I had accomplished a lot that morning and had sacrificed my own needs for those of the family. I deserved a treat! I called my local Sushi Zushi and placed my order to go. Then I grabbed the kids and the sushi and hit the highway right on schedule.

Eating in the car is never easy, but I pride myself on being a multi-tasker. I like accomplishing things, and I really like accomplishing many things at once. So, eating a bite of lunch while driving to our destination seemed a perfectly good solution to my hunger problem.

But the real problems began when I pulled the sushi from the bag and realized:

1. Sushi is not finger food.

2. I had only chopsticks, no fork.

3. Soy sauce is a thin liquid

and spills easily.

4. Mixing wasabi into soy sauce while steering with your knee is virtually impossible.

The first bite of sushi rolled down the front of my clean blouse and landed in my lap.

I speared the second bite with one chopstick and gulped it down without serious incident…or enjoyment.

The third bite fell apart, and I managed only a small bit of seaweed and a few grains of rice to my mouth.

The fourth bite landed on the floor between my feet where I left it for the remainder of the three-hour trip.

And the fifth bite found its way into the cup holder. The next thing I knew, the entire wretched plastic container holding the sushi slid from the console into the passenger seat and a soy sauce mess of epic proportion ensued.

Life is like sushi. Rushing through it will not yield the results you desire. Any true sushi connoisseur will tell you that sushi is an experience. You take time to pour over the menu and make your selections. Then you mix the perfect amount of wasabi with the soy sauce. You use chopsticks for authenticity. You savor the flavors. Sushi is expensive, so you value each delicious bite. Life is like that.

If we are always in a hurry, rushing from activity to activity, cramming in as much as we can in a day, we will never enjoy the journey because there just isn’t time.

So this week, make it a point to slow down. Sit down together as a family for dinner without rushing or worrying about a test or a game or a practice.

Enjoy the moment and the meal together. In 10 years, that test or game won’t matter a bit, but time spent together will have lasting results. Let’s become life connoisseurs. Take time to appreciate it!