The Gift of the Pause

Today our yoga practice centered on the word “Pause.”
It feels especially meaningful during this busy holiday season, when so many of us are rushing from one responsibility to the next and our minds rarely stand still. In yoga, a pause is a conscious moment of stillness; a place to breathe, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most.

 

As I lay on my mat, I thought about how the word pause has shaped my life, especially as a mother. I remembered the years when bedtime stories, baths, and giggles filled our evenings — and how often I wanted to rush through them to get to the next task.

There were lunches to pack, clothes to prepare, work deadlines waiting. And too many nights, I forgot to pause… to inhale the scent of freshly washed hair, to treasure warm snuggles, to listen to the laughter.

 

And then one day, it all changed.
No more bedtime stories.
No more rocking-chair cuddles.
No more blanket-fort adventures beneath the dining room table.

What breaks your heart is that you never know when it’s the last time — until years later, when you realize those moments had a beginning and an end.

 

This week, we celebrate Thanksgiving and it is a reminder of how important it is to pause and truly see the people we love. To be present. To savor the laughter and the faces around the table.

 

That’s one of the reasons I wrote Caitlin’s Star — to honor love, family, and the memories we carry with us forever. The story is a reminder that connection lasts, and that the moments we pause to treasure become the ones we hold in our hearts.

 

So my wish for all of us this season is simple:
Pause.
Look up.
Hold the joy.
Treasure today — because we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

 

Caitlin's Star