Smelling the Roses

Do you stop and smell the roses?

I would say most times I walk past flowers, I stop and smell them. I LOVE not only the smell of flowers, but I enjoy the colors, how they're arranged and just how pretty they are. Some people feel like flowers are a waste of money. They figure, they die, so what's the point?

I would argue....so do we. THAT'S why we SHOULD stop and smell the roses. Appreciate the fragrance, color, arrangement and beauty of life.

It's pretty safe to say we are all busy. Whether it's family, friends, work, errands or whatever else. We all seem to be running around like chickens with our heads chopped off. We barely take time to stop and really be grateful for all we've been blessed with.

Sometimes it's unplanned, sometimes I force myself to and sometimes life forces me to take time, pause and soak in all of my blessings. In the chaos, I 're-cognize' (thank you Elizabeth Murphy) my thinking.  If the kids are fighting--I appreciate that we were blessed with three healthy children. The house has never ending projects----I appreciate we have a home. The house is in shambles---I appreciate that we have 'things' for our home. I have to figure out what to make for dinner---I appreciate we have food to make for dinner. I'm in the car a lot....driving the kids to/from school, sporting events, friends houses, appointments and until recently-Luke to work---I appreciate that I don't have to work outside the home and can be there for my kids. The kids argue with me---I appreciate they have opinions and will stand up for what they believe in--sometimes that's a really hard one to appreciate ;)

I definitely don't do it as often as I should and can become frustrated with the chaos. However, when I do stop, reflect and appreciate all I've been given.....life seems so much better.

So, I guess you could say I literally and figuratively stop and smell the roses. :)