Stop and Smell the Roses
Do you stop to smell roses? I do. Whether in a hardware store garden centre, on a river path, or when handed a beautiful bouquet delivered to my workplace for my 32nd wedding anniversary (thank you, baby), I stick my nose in those blossoms and breathe deeply. It is such a delight to appreciate the beautiful scent of God’s creation; I never want to be too busy to pause in this way.
As we welcome the month of June, we look forward to the hot, sunny days of summer. Students and teachers long for the end of the school year and the upcoming freedom. Some of those teachers, of the right age and financial situation, count down the days to retirement. Doesn’t it seem like we’re always focussing on the future?
While it’s nice to have dreams, and it’s wise to put money aside for that elusive prospect of happiness and fulfillment, I fear that we sometimes forget to appreciate our present—our now.
“Well, Valda, I haven’t been able to smell a thing since I had COVID.”
“I have allergies. Smelling flowers makes me sneeze.”
“I don’t go anywhere that has roses.”
To “stop and smell the roses” has little to do with the scent of flowers. It is about appreciating life today and being grateful for the good things God has provided. In his work, “What Next: A Memoir Toward World Peace,” Walter Mosley said, “Every day that we wake up is a good day.” I acknowledge that situations such as suffering from chronic pain or abuse can affect the positivity in that statement. But I think most of us in our community are grateful for the breath in our lungs, for life. Sometimes we forget to stop and say thank you to the One who gives us that oxygen.
When we scurry and hurry around without those rose moments, we might look back with regret someday. That might sound like this:
“I wish I had spent more time with my children.”
“I wish I had travelled.”
“I wish I had taken advantage of my youthful energy and sense of adventure.”
I always feel sad when I hear the song by Harry Chapin, Cat’s in the Cradle. The lyrics tell of generations of dads working hard to provide for their families at the expense of missing close relationships with their sons. Why don’t some children know how to skip stones or throw a ball? Because we didn’t take the time to show them. Have you ever heard a parent say they regret spending too much time with their children?
Psalm 144:4 reminds us, “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” And the psalmist asks God in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
Have you ever considered the small action of smelling a rose as a step toward gaining wisdom? Wise people will not look back on their lives with regret. They will embrace each day with hope and joy, working hard but making time for play too. They will thank God for His blessings, big and small. They will value relationships. We will never hear a wise person say, “I wish I had spent more time at work (or binge-watching TV or scrolling through Instagram…).”
As we approach summer (and all the following seasons to come), let’s take a moment to list the things we value in life, recognizing that each of us has a finite number of years on this planet. How can we steal moments to spend time on those things?
What will “stopping and smelling the roses” look like for you?
Valda Goudie is a teacher and author of the Tickle Me with a Crowbar! series (available on Amazon and Kobo.com). Visit her site at https://valsstage.com/ and download Book 1 for free.