Stop and Smell the Roses...

I've heard this saying time and time again, but as an impatient person I haven't truly appreciated it's meaning. I have to admit that I have rushed through life, just trying to make sure I fit it all in... I finished college in 3 years, grad school in 1 year, was married by 26 and had my children before I turned 30. No time could be "wasted" in my mind, because there wasn't going to be much of it.

Today, I went on a bike ride with my family in the Cuyahoga Valley. I was ahead of the pack the entire time. At one point, as my family stopped to look at a little waterfall I caught myself saying, "If we keep stopping like this we're never going to get there!" The "there" in this case was the greasy goodness of the "Winking Lizard". However, as soon as the words left my lips I started thinking about how this statement is a metaphor for my life.

I am ALWAYS rushing to get to the next destination. Like a good Social Worker, I have psychoanalyzed this trait and came to the conclusion long ago that my behavior was the result of always being aware of my life expectancy. I had limited time and had to fit everything I wanted into that space. I truly do appreciate life, I just appreciate it quickly.

During the bike ride, I was pedaling along when I realized that the family had all stopped again. I turned around to tell them that they were starting to interfere with my food fest, to discover that they were watching a beautiful deer a few feet away. It was so amazing to watch this beautiful creature enjoying nature. It stayed nearby for several minutes. I had passed this deer right by. I was moving too quickly. I wasn't stopping to smell the roses, and as a result I missed the most amazing part of the day.

So, I have made a decision to try to slow down every once in a while. To try to just enjoy "being" sometimes, instead of filling all of the space in an effort to get to the "next level". I'll let you know how that works out for me!