Stop and Smell the Roses

So about a month ago I was watching the Sprout channel with Jace and saw an interesting music video that caught my attention. It’s a video with two little boys, one representing a rabbit, who speeds through his day and does everything fast; and the other representing a turtle, who makes his way slowly through his day doing everything…you guessed it, slowly. When I saw the little boy running quickly from scene to scene, laughing and playing, getting somewhere fast, I immediately had the thought in my mind, “that’s me.” At that time I had no idea what the song was really about; I just somehow identified with that kid. Well, when the other little boy began his slow journey from scene to scene, he took time to really engage everything he came in contact with. That’s when I raised an eyebrow and squinted with interest, anxious to see where this little kids’ video was headed. By the end of the song I was smiling a revelatory grin, still identifying with the lightening-fast little boy, realizing I was just reminded of how much I will miss out on in life if I choose to speed by/through everything hurriedly trying to get to wherever it is I am trying to go.

This little video made me think about where I found myself at that very moment in life…quite still. The first two months of 2009 I was in the hospital preparing to give birth. Two weeks after that, I spent back and forth to the NICU, watching my baby boy fight his way to solid ground. Then the next five months I spent at home with him. So, the last eight months have been spent at a physical standstill, with my sole responsibility being to mother to my child. It doesn’t get much slower than that. However in my usual way I have spent quite a bit of time mentally planning all that I will do, in record time, to catch up with the life that has seemingly passed me by. But…as I took in the video, after the fact, I totally received the gentle reminder that it is this sort of haste that begets the unending cycle of continual striving, investing an infinite amount of labor that yields nothing less than unfulfilling results. It is the beginning of the long hard journey to, “there has to be more to life than this.” Do I really want to travel that road again in my life? Um, well, no.

So, in essence, I was reminded on that day to “stop and smell the roses” (a phrase I have always despised…now I’m certain that my distaste came from a lack of understanding). I sat in amazement that the elementary things in life still prove to be the most profound and the most meaningful. I also realized that part of the gift of Jace is just that, a reason to slow down. Not only that but a reason, and the means, to go back to the beginning of things and begin again. I get to see things for the first time along with Jace and the beauty of that is, this time I will linger a while. I will find my “moments” as I make it a priority to teach him how to find his. The first thing I did in line with this new thinking was to incorporate a daily walk outside with him in the evening time. After a couple of weeks of this, today was the first time I stopped to show him a moment. I stopped his stroller, pulled back the shade, leaned down and said, “Do you hear that, Jace? Those are crickets. Oh, and listen, that was a bird. God made those animals just so you could hear those sounds and be reminded that he created everything.” Do I really think he heard them to the point where he made note of them? No. Do I think he understood a word I was saying? No. But did I have my very own moment? Yes. And boy what a joy to be having that moment with him. I also got a feel for what it will be like to teach him about “moments.” After all, I won’t be able to authentically teach him that which I do not know for myself, now will I?

I’m excited to think about all I will learn this time around. I’m thankful for the opportunity to experience life from the beginning with all that I have learned along the way. This is my chance to live out that whole, if I knew then what I know now. Wow…so that really happens, eh? What an opportunity! I think this is going to be fun.

So, enjoy the video for, “Fast and Slow (The Rabbit and the Turtle)” by the Laura Berkner Band that I saw on the Sprout channel. And to all my fellow rabbits, stop and smell the roses for a change ;-)