Stop and smell the roses

As I transition into my new season of life – retirement –I am discovering many different aspects on this new journey.  I am not as busy as I was; getting ready for work, going to work, working, then coming home from work, getting dinner on the table, and then going brain dead in front of the tube or catching up on housework in the evening, just to get up the next morning and do it all over again. 

I am discovering I actually have time to think and to feel.  To think through ideas, ponder thoughts, remember memories.  I have time to truly sense what took place, what I heard, what I saw, what I touched, what I smelled, what I tasted, what I felt.  Maybe when our lives are not so focused on what must be accomplished, how many widgets must be produced, how many sales calls we must make, etc. then the senses that have been suppressed by the “doing” actually are reborn to start experiencing life. 

Whoever quoted, “Take time to stop and smell the roses” understood the importance of experiencing life rather than living life.  They grasped that relationships become more important than accomplishments. 

For years in the “working” arena of my life I was a human resource director.  And what I found to be true over and over again is that people became disgruntled with their work, not because of not meeting goals or lack of accomplishment, they became disgruntled with bad working relationships.  This attitude usually resulted in a termination, whether they quit or were fired.  The bad working relationships led to bad attitudes which resulted in undesirable behaviors in the work force. 

Today I will smell the roses…

Bagger Boy

You just never know when one day you meet a person who is in utter despair with life and a kind word or a kind gesture may be all they need to give them hope and courage to face one more day.

This happened to me many years ago.  When I was a single mom and very broke, I had to take my son to the doctor for an infected ingrown toenail. Seems so minor, yet I had no idea why his big toe was so inflamed and he was in such pain.  I was concerned about my son's well being but I was also worried about taking money from the grocery budget to pay for the copay and the antibiotics.

After the doctor visit we walked next door to the grocery store to get milk and the antibiotics.  It was around six in the evening, the kids were tired, hungry and whiny.  I was distraught with life, worried about finances, embarrassed to pay for the milk with food stamps.

And some 30 years later I remember the kindness of the young man bagging our groceries that night.  I don't remember what he did or what he said, but I do remember how he made me feel.  His kindness gave me hope and courage and continue on.