Wednesday, October 7, 2009

STOP.................and smell the flowers

So we're walking home today when Bella stops me at the door. I'm loaded up with diaper bags and Chloe and in a rush to get lunch started so I could get her down for a nap on time so I didn't throw off her schedule, when suddenly she yells "STOP!".

I look back and she's standing by the flowers. "Don't pick them!" I call out. (Don't you find you always assume the worst or is that just me?) Anyway, she wasn't about to decapitate the poor flowers. Why did I need to stop?

"Stop and smell flowers Mummy".

"Stop and smell the flowers? Don't you see how busy I am? Whose got time to stop and smell the flowers? I have way more important things to do, schedule, schedule Bella".

Really? You thought I said that? Well it did cross my mind but instead I stopped for a moment. I stopped. I actually put the bags and Chloe down and I crouched down next to the flowers. Bella smiled up at me with that open, innocent sweet little face and whispered "Smell the flowers Mummy". I took a big sniff.

Now it has to be said here that they didn't smell particularly pleasant. In fact, does the garlic plant grow around here somewhere? But that wasn't the point. Crouching down next to her, I had a moment where I saw the world from her point of view. Everything is fresh and new when you are two. It's all exciting. Even smelling the flowers, noticing the grass, holding hands.

It really made me think. We're so busy rushing around trying to get stuff done that we miss the very things in front of us. The flowers, the grass, the trees, the moon the stars the sky. Even the clouds. Did you lay on your back and watch the clouds roll by recently? The beauty and greatness of life is not in the rushing around, it's in the pause. The moment as my husband returns from work that we share a kiss. The moment at night that I watch my kids sleep. The moment before I get out of bed when the house is still.

So here is my pledge. I pledge to slow down. I pledge to be really in the moment with my children. I pledge to be distracted by a bee buzzing lazily by or a humming bird drinking its nectar. I pledge to spend time looking at the stars and the moon. I pledge to swing high on the park swings laughing like a crazy person. I pledge to feel the wind on my face. I pledge to dance in the rain. I pledge to notice this awesome, amazing beautiful world that God made for us. So be warned if I am meeting you for any reason - I might be a bit late!

Are you with me?

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