Dear friend,
I recently received my most literal life lesson ever. It practically smacked me over the head at breakfast!
Let me explain.
I was eating with my toddler when he looked up and asked, ‘Can I smell the flower, please, Mom?’
I had already forgotten about it, but the single red rose on the table had caught his eye.
And, despite trying to minimize distractions while dining, I didn’t want him to miss a literal opportunity to stop and smell the rose[…s]. I shook the water off the long green stem and handed it to him.
He grasped it carefully and brought the bloom to his face. Unhurried, he stroked the velvety scarlet petals and inhaled the aroma.
‘Mom? What’s it smell like, Mom?’ he wanted to know.
I also inhaled the scent, then unhelpfully giggled, ‘The rose?’… Well, it smells like a rose!’ which cracked him up.
‘Nooo! Mom! What does it smell like?’
The joke continued because… Well, I couldn’t make an accurate olfactory comparison.
And then he asked me again at dinner. And breakfast the next morning, as he prompted me to hand the flower over for inspection.
–
Our rose came from Josh Johnson’s ‘The Flowers Tour’ at the London Palladium just the night before.
He wasn’t there l. Just me. And I positively fluttered with delight when the Flower Girls handed it to me. As did many other theatre-goers.
Once seated, I took a single cursory whiff, while waiting for the show. But no more were made as I carried it in my backpack through the city, on the train (where I quickly fangirled with another show attendee), or at home… Not even before I accidentally left it out of water all night or finally put it in a vase for revival the next day.
That morning, the rose was staring both of us right in the face. But it only beckoned my kiddo, with his innate curiosity, wonder and appreciation.
And now I repeat this commonplace, yet often ignored, piece of advice for you: take time to stop and smell the roses.
Slow down and enjoy all you can — especially when times are hard and uncertain, because life passes quickly, and you’ll uncover more beautiful blessings that are just waiting for you to take notice and indulge.
Sharing infinite love,
Ali
