Stop and Smell the Roses

Last night one of my daughter's started to get upset over something that she didn't need to be upset over. I looked at her and said it was okay and that she doesn't need to be so serious all the time. Her response caught me by surprise. She said, "but Mom, I am a serious person." Okay. Now what. This I do know about her but for her to say this to me threw me off guard. Thinking quickly on my feet I tell her that I know but there are things in life that aren't a big deal. I was deeply saddened by what she said next. She said that has to be serious all the time because when she isn't, her stomach hurts and her anxiety goes up. Uh oh! Boy did I see myself in her. She is struggling with the same thing I have been for years and years and that is letting her guard down. She has plenty of reason to feel the way she does, as do I but what this did was get me to think from a different perspective.

I should take my own advice. Life isn't so serious. There should be fun, laughing, smiles, games, and joy. There are things worth fighting for and there are things that aren't a big deal and not worth my time. For example, is it really a big deal if my kids "forget" to make their beds? In the grand scheme of things probably not. Is it a big deal if my daughter breaks out in song, loudly, in the store simply because it came on the radio? No. Why would I shut her up or tell her to behave appropriately in a store? She is just having fun. She is enjoying the song and putting a smile on her face. Is it a big deal to stop for a minute and look at the really cool cloud that my daughter is pointing out and noticing? No. I can stop for a minute, look up, and enjoy this precious moment with my child. Now these are simpler things in life but important. Stop, take a deep breath, and enjoy.

Things that are on a much bigger scale, like food, is much more difficult. "Normal" people may enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or a handful of M&M's because they can. I, on the other hand, have to have this deep, long, serious conversation with myself before I even attempt or go near certain foods. After this conversation, which can last hours, if I finally do make a cup of hot chocolate, I definitely don't enjoy it. What is so wrong with enjoying food? Why do I take it so seriously? I may not know the answer to these questions but I do know that taking things to seriously takes all the fun out of life, whether it's food or simply looking at the sky. Wow, what a simple statement can do to contemplate a new perspective. Stopping to smell the roses can apply to more than just the flowers.