04/17/2020
Now that we have been forced to slow down, we are starting to see those little pockets of beauty in our lives that have always been there, but went unnoticed because we were too busy.
We were taking our family exercise break this afternoon when I looked over at our neighbor’s azaleas. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the pinks and purples were something to behold. Those azaleas have been there for years, and today was the first time that I took a minute to stop and smell them. I’m glad I did.
I called our neighbor and asked his permission to photograph these beautiful flowers. He said yes, and we began talking about the plants. He said when he first planted them, they were actually planted in another part of the yard to ensure they adapted to the soil and grew appropriately. He nurtured them for several YEARS before they were ready to be moved to their current location.
He then said that even though they were beautiful today, it was about time to cut them back again. The blooms will fade in the next couple of weeks, and it will be time to prepare them for the summer, and then the fall and winter. His family enjoys them every spring, knowing that they will not last.
So by simply stopping to smell the azaleas, I was reminded of two very important truths. First, nothing worth having or doing is done easily or overnight. It takes hard work. Years of it. Second, just like those blooms, the special moments in our lives do not last. We need to be present, in the moment, to appreciate and enjoy them to the fullest.
Just like those azaleas.
