There are moments in life when you should not take your time. For example,  last week when I entered the bathroom at Wal-Mart. I walked around the corner and came face to face with this sweet, little elderly man. Bless his heart; he doesn’t know he’s in the wrong bathroom, I thought. As I glanced to my side, I noticed the “backward feet” in the stall. And then I heard the words, “Honey, you are in the men’s bathroom.” I moved pretty quickly!

I tend to drive fast. Mama always said I had a lead foot. This morning as I was driving to school in the “fast lane”, a black car pulled up behind me and rode my bumper for miles. I was going 70 in a 55! But the car was determined to get past despite how fast I was going. Finally, it pulled around me and sped quickly down the highway, weaving in and out of cars. Several other cars passed me by too.

Everyone seems to just speeding through life. I myself often speed through the days without slowing down to “smell the roses.” I have tried to be more conscience of that lately. I have seen some beautiful sites that I might have missed if I was flying through the day.

Time Flies

My mamaw, who just turned 97 last week, has said to me many times, “The older you get, the faster time flies.” I have discovered she is right. As a kid, it seemed like Christmas would never come. Now, as an older adult, it seems like it was just here, and when I turn around, it’s back. We tend to live life anxiously hoping for the next step. I can’t wait until they get past this teething stage. Why is it taking so long to potty train them? I can’t wait until they are old enough to play a sport. When will they be beyond this moody preadolescence stage. I wish they could drive; all I do is chauffeur them from place to place. Before you know it, they are walking across a stage in cap and gown to receive their diploma.

I have heard many people say they wish they could stop time. Today when walking down Broad Street, I glanced up at the courthouse clock, and to my surprise, the hands were gone. That’s what we all need sometimes: a clock without hands. We need no rushing, and no time restraints. Of course in our fast-paced world that’s not really possible. We have jobs, family, obligations and many other things that require us to follow a clock. But I am trying to take a few minutes each day to look around and what God has given.

Slow down

In a rush, I miss so much. I may not have seen the brightest star in the sky, the two squirrels playing chase around the tree, nor the daughter walking arm in arm with her elderly mother. My ears night now have heard the sounds of a baby laughing, katydids singing, or the dog’s snoring. I may not have noticed the warmth of the sun on my face, or the softness of the kindergartner’s hand in mine.

When we take time to slow down and smell the roses, perhaps we will not miss the daily, little blessings that God sends us that are so often overlooked.