Scent from above...

Annie loves flowers.  I know, as little girl qualities go, this is hardly unique.  But she really loves them.  She picks them wherever she sees them (sorry, Grandma, I'm sure they'll grow back) and then loves them until the petals fall off.  Of course, the flower gardens and baskets and planters are her favorites, but I've also watched her pick a lone daisy from the edge of a parking lot, and carry it around, roots and all as though they were meant for each other.  Her interest in flowers ranges from the aesthetic to the botanic, as I have watched her systematically dissect many of Kristin's floral arrangements on the kitchen table.  The academic in me wants to believe that she is cataloging all of the flower's parts and functions, but the daddy in me thinks she is really just trying to find out where all of the pretty comes from.
Costco has a massive display of flowers, the highlight of which (for Annie) is the wall of roses.  Visiting this verdant kiosk is a must for Annie, no matter how focused our purpose or urgent our pace.  As I watched her recently, taking time to smell each bouquet that she could reach from her seat in the cart, I was impressed by her enthusiastic sniffing which I openly acknowledge as standard procedure for her and other floral enthusiasts of her age group.  She reaches for the flowers, pulls herself face-first into the middle of the arrangement and breathes deeply.  This process is repeated each time she finds flowers.  Maybe it's the fragrance, or the touch of the petals on her face, or some other reason that is her very own--but as I watch her, I am reminded of the aphorism "stopping to smell the roses" and realize that it's not just the stopping that is important, but the way we do the smelling.  If our pauses in life to enjoy simple pleasures (kids, nature, sleep) are approached the same way we tackle a work or school or household project--you know, with a feeling of necessity and a tangible deadline--we remove both the "simple" and the "pleasure" from the whole equation.  How do I smell flowers?  Well, I don't mind getting close, but I definitely don't use my whole face.  And I'm a short sniffer, you know, just in case there's a bug in there--that way, it won't get very far...
Don't get me wrong--I realize that taking time to enjoy the beauties of this world often requires some scheduling and time-juggling.  But we have to be aware of our attitude; for example, spending time with the family at the lake or the park or the kitchen table should be done without the ever-present mindset that we have to "get this over with" so that we can move on to the next important task that has really been on our mind the whole time. Think--when was the last time you were able to effectively engage in and complete a task at work, home or school without constantly being distracted by thoughts of your family or your recreational pursuits?  Now, shouldn't that same attention be given to those things that balance us--physically, mentally and spiritually?  Easier said than done, I'm afraid...but the far-reaching effects are well worth the effort.