Take Time...

The entrance of our library has a little table that holds a vase filled with purple and brown artificial flowers. I pass them every time we enter the library without a second glance. Until a few weeks ago.
We were running a bit late for the puppet show and I was rushing the girls out of the van and into the library. We walked through the first set of double doors and Eden walked straight over to the little table that holds the flowers and started to smell them. Here were are, running late, and my daughter is smelling fake roses. So, in my hurried state of mind, I quickly said, "Eden, let's go... we're late! We don't have time to...."  And then I caught myself. I was about to tell my daughter we didn't have time to stop and smell the roses. Is that the lesson I want to teach my kids?? No!  So often, that is the way I find myself living my life, and I want better for them.
So I stopped talking and she finished smelling. And then her sister smelled them. And apparently they smell like strawberry milk! :)
I try to teach my daughters valuable life lessons every chance I get. But on that day, I was the student.  I would like to say that I really took that lesson to heart and that I 'stop to smell the roses' in every aspect of my life. I don't. But I'll tell you what I do.... I make sure to leave a few minutes early for the puppet show now, because those flowers have become a favorite of those two little girls. And I want to make sure they always have time to stop and smell them.