In this world of ‘right here, right now,’ I want to ask everyone to stop and smell the roses for a minute. Life is too short and way too precious to rush it. No one seems to be able to savor anything anymore. It is the little things we take for granted that truly make us appreciate every single day.
People today go to fast food places for ready made meals, buy pre-cooked meals at the grocery store instead of the ingredients, and wish their life away on Monday wishing it were Saturday. My challenge to those reading this today is to take a moment and do something that might be outside your comfort zone or “fast” time frame. It could be as simple as making a grilled cheese sandwich instead of rushing to McDonalds; talking to the person in front of you in line at the grocery store; or holding the door for someone behind you entering a building and letting them go first knowing it will put you one person behind in the line. It may not seem like much, but it can change the trajectory of the day for you, the person you are speaking to, or that you held the door for. Simple as that.
Lately, I have been overwhelmed at some of the beautiful sunsets the change of season brings. I keep taking pictures to try and capture their beauty. My husband thought I was crazy because you see one sunset you seen them all, right? No. It will never be duplicated. I marvel at how the colors are so random sometimes. The greatest artist there ever was painted that sky. These little things are so uplifting… and free for anyone choosing to see the beauty right in front of them.
After the loss of another sibling this past summer, and seeing my grandkids growing up every day, I want to make time stand still a little while so I can absorb the feeling a wee bit longer. I know how precious this time is and it is fleeing quickly. Out of eight children, four have now joined our parents. I sit and wonder how much time I have left with my remaining siblings. Those of us left are all in our 60’s, and none of the ones before us made it through this ’60’ decade. When we were little, we had infinity ahead of us. My oldest brother has been gone thirty years this November. Infinity faded when we lost him. We lost another brother just eight years later. Time is not a given. It is precious and not to be taken for granted.
It truly is the little things. I want to walk into the house and smell food cooking like when I walked in my mother’s house (at any age). I want to sit on the patio and watch my granddaughter blow bubbles. I want to watch my grandson play his musical instrument in the school chorus. I want to watch my daughter raise her kids and see all of them succeed and become the great people I know they will be. Unfortunately, I know I won’t get to live to see it all, but I am greedy and want all that I am able.
Almost everyone who dies today had plans for tomorrow. It is not guaranteed. I don’t want to miss any of the beauty unfolding in front of me today. I want to make memories that may make others smile when they think of that moment. I don’t want to rush. If losing a child taught me anything, it taught me that. When my son died, he had plans for the next day. From that moment forward, anything I thought I had planned or wanted changed. It happened that fast. Now, I treasure the little things that happened during those 24-1/2 years I was blessed with. I don’t want to look at what I didn’t get anymore. That is a depressing place for my heart to live. It’s dark and gray. Maybe that is my obsession with rainbows and sunsets. I think the mind and heart sometimes work together without our knowledge.
Don’t bypass an opportunity to be kind. We are the creators of our own destiny and how we respond to situations around us help define who we become and what we can expect. In my darkest hours, faith and kindness were what pulled me through. I am not sure why people feel the need to be anything but nice. It is so much easier and rewarding to know we did what we could for who we could at the time. Again, the little things. Live, love, and laugh like there is no tomorrow. Most of all, be kind for those near you and those we miss. The best medicine is a happy heart, even if it has a few cracks and holes in it. I cry because they are gone, but I smile because they were here.
#foreverinourhearts #gonebutnotforgotten #kindnesschangedtheworld #thedashinthemiddle
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