Stop and Smell the Roses

Rush, rush… hurry, hurry.  I swear kids are always in a rush to get to the next step, the next thing.  It doesn’t matter what the next thing is, they’re in a hurry.  I remember that as a kid.  When I was five, I couldn’t wait to be six.  Then when I was seven, it was all about getting to 10… double digits.  All these milestones kids race to make me feel tired and old!  Maybe if they slow down, we’ll age more slowly?!  No, I guess not.  It doesn’t work that way. 

Watching them rush, hurry and stress about getting to the next thing is painful… at least it is for me.  How do they do it?  How do they have the energy to keep up the crazy pace?  Then, they have their super annoying mom constantly reminding them to slow down, take their time, don’t stress.  “Be sure you stop and smell the roses, or you’ll miss all the good stuff,” I’ll holler out as they’re rushing out the door.  “Mom, I don’t have that kind of time,” they’ll holler back.

I think it’s great and I do admire they’re ability to plan for the future, but what happens when they’re so focused on the future, they lose sight of today?  I opened my fortune cookie last night and read my fortune.  Let’s be honest, it wasn’t my first cookie, but who’s counting?  Even my arse would tell you otherwise.  Back to my fortune… “Look towards the future, but not so far as to miss today.”  I read it aloud for the girls, but it was lost on them.  Is this wisdom something that comes with age?  Can you teach it?  Does the constant annoying reminder from their mother help that wisdom develop faster?  I wish I had all the answers and I wish I could help them to stop and appreciate what’s right in front of them today and worry less about tomorrow. 

For now, I guess I’ll just have to remind them to stop and smell the roses.  I suppose it’s a good thing roses are blooming in the garden right now.  Not to worry… I’ve already bought each girl rosewater facial spray so they’ve got something to sniff as a reminder when the real thing is no longer blooming in the garden.  Will it help?  Who knows?!  At least for now, we’re smelling the roses… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Xh90dStPc

Xoxo,

Inger