I was often reminded of this by my mom for as long as I can remember…from a very small girl on.  I would ask her “Mom…what does it mean”?  As a young child of course, I would take it very literally and ask her if I should actually smell a rose.  She would laugh in a most loving way and explain to me what this saying meant to her and then ask me to share what it meant to me.

My mom told me how our daily lives get so busy with work, school, and chores that we may forget to enjoy the beautiful things in life which hold special meaning to us. She explained how in the busyness of our day, we forget to slow down, take a breath, and think about the people and things we are grateful for.  She especially highlighted those important people in our lives we cherish and would be lost without.  She went on to say how “smelling the roses” meant pausing to be mindful and acknowledge what we are most thankful for in our lives…and first and foremost, thank our good Father God for our blessings! 

We would then practice this gratitude and the discovery of what is really important and how happy those people and things made us brought big smiles to our faces. We would then actually reach out to someone we loved and maybe hadn’t connected with in some time to let them know we were thinking about them and miss them. Or, we would simply say a prayer or do a kindness for a neighbor or a stranger.

It’s funny to note way back when I was a kid, we didn’t have cell phones, or social media, and all the great ways to easily keep in touch with someone.  We needed to call them on a landline, write a letter, or go for a visit. It needed to be very intentional and took a good bit of time to follow through on those connections. Now, it’s so much easier to stay in touch…it can literally take just a few moments. 

Over time, I came to easily understand exactly what she meant with her wise reminder of “take time to smell the roses”.  We all have more commitments than time and we get lost in the management of our daily lives and obligations to our family, work, friends, and communities.  And when things sometimes get overwhelming, my mom’s beautiful words and advice to pause and consciously practice gratitude is a great comfort there are more important things in life to bring to focus at the moment.

I look back on this ritual she and I shared and bonded over and it brings great joy to remember how my wonderful mother gifted me with this great lesson in life. I need to follow this advice more often.

So, for you my dear loyal friends and clients, I offer my mother’s wise advice…”Take time to smell the roses”.  I can assure you this pause in our lives doesn’t steal time from our day, it gives back to us in return a most joyful addition to our lives.

With love and thanks to you mom…the most beautiful, gracious, loving woman I have ever known!  It’s no wonder whenever I see or smell roses…you come to mind…and I remember.  

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