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How many times have you heard the phrase, "Stop and smell the roses?" Chances are you've heard this or something similar. Despite the technological and scientific advances that are supposed to give us more time, we seem to be even more hurried and busier. It takes a conscious effort to take time to savor the moment.
A survey was taken of elderly people who were asked what they would do differently if they could live their lives over. One of the top on their list was they would reflect more. To reflect means "to think deeply or carefully about." Are we taking time to think deeply or do we have so much going on and so many distractions that we don't often slow down enough to enjoy the experience?
The older I get the more I realize the importance of allowing yourself to get pulled into the moment. Instead of hurrying on to the next thing or thinking about the next task on your to-do list, stop and reflect. Think deeply and carefully. This time will not come again - not exactly like it is right now.
Recently I was at our seven-year-old granddaughter's dance recital and I sensed the Lord saying, "Take it all in. Experience it. Allow yourself to be drawn in." We all know children grow up so fast and it seems grandchildren grow up even faster! Don't be in a hurry for them to grow up. Enjoy every stage along the way.
My mother has been a widow for ten years and up until seven months ago she lived alone. One of the things she would do every time we left her house was to walk us to the door and wave to us as we drove away. The first few months after she moved into her current apartment at an assisted living center, she would walk to the front lobby and do the same. She would watch us drive away and we would wave to her.
The last couple of times we have visited her, she has not had the strength or doesn't feel well enough to walk us all the way down the hall to the front door. I understand, but I already miss it. We still give her a hug and kiss when we leave, just as we always did, but I have to admit, it is not the same having her waving good-bye to us. At the time, I didn't realize how important that would be sometime.
Wherever you find yourself in life, take time to reflect on those seemingly insignificant events. As the saying goes, "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."
Take time to smell the roses, enjoy the sunset, visit your parents and grandparents and let them tell you the stories of their lives. Go to your children's and grandchildren's ball games, dance recitals, and school programs. And don't just attend them. Take in the experience. Allow every emotion and all five senses be drawn in so years later you can reflect back on it. You will never regret it.