PLANNING for and dreaming of the future are essential for success in this life and the next. Identifying and setting goals, big and small, are keys to laying the foundation and mapping out the steps necessary to realizing your vision. In fact, I’ve written about Setting Goals and Fostering Good Habits with our children. But what happens when we reach our goals? Are we satisfied with the results? Do we stop and rest, dormant in our success, or are there never-ending plans and dreams that follow? What about the journey? Are we living in the present and enjoying the experience, or rushing through, only concerned about the future and reaching the end? I believe that as long as we are living in dunya, there really never is an “end” to our plans or our efforts to achieve our dreams. No matter how many goals we set and make, no matter how big or how small, whether reached or not, there’s also a list more to follow the one (or one million) at hand. I think this is especially true for parents in terms of raising our children. To give an example: Before we are pregnant we dream of conceiving. Once pregnant we plan and prepare for the birth. Once the baby is born, we struggle to get through the early days of nursing. Once past that goal, we watch for the many milestones of infanthood. We can’t wait for them talk, walk, and potty train. But when they do, it’s time to think of school. With school comes a myriad of plans and goals. As each year ends, we aim for the next. Before we know it, it’s graduation and college planning. Next comes the dreams and plans for a wedding. From there we often become spectators as we witness the cycle start again. But the reality is that in all this future focus and planning, we may get so caught up in our vision for their future that we miss the present. At times it’s our dreams for their success that drives us and at others it’s our own fatigue with the high demands on our own time and energy in the present. Whatever the reason, we are often in such a rush for our children to reach the next step that we don’t enjoy the journey along the way. We can easily become the parents who are “impossible to please” as we push our children onwards without much acknowledgement of all they’ve accomplished so far. It’s important for our children that we slow down sometimes and enjoy the fruits of their labor, not to mention our own. I can’t even count how many mothers have lamented about days and years gone by with amazement at how fast time flies. Looking at my own children I find it hard to believe they have grown as much as they have. When did it happen? This sentiment permeates all the age ranges, from my sixteen year-old, all the way down to my one year-old. Each age and phase of their lives is priceless and worth taking time to enjoy. Of course we must carry on and update our goals along the way. But never forget that the moment at hand is the only one that is guaranteed, treasure it and enjoy them now.