Taking time to smell the roses

There's always something that has to be done, that needs to be done, that will not wait or else. But how much do those things really matter? Do you ever notice that we don't take enough time to just enjoy life? Maybe it's just me. I tend to be a worrier and a planner. I like to have everything neatly packaged, planned out, and second guessed. I have backup plans and backups to the backup plans. I know exactly what I'm going to be doing all day until I don't get it done. There is always so much to do, and I get caught up in the whirlwind of trying to make it happen.

Mostly, though, I worry. I worry about how to keep my house clean and my bills paid. About how to get to work on time and what I'm doing with my life. About how best to handle my cats and their craziness. About ... well ... insert pretty much anything (here). I like to think of it as planning, but probably half the time it's really just a cover for worrying. With all this planning (/worrying) it doesn't leave as much time for enjoying as I had thought being well planned out would leave.

Recently I have been reminded every morning as I drive into work that I need to slow down and just enjoy life. My day starts at 5am (ish) when I get up to get ready for work and for the day. I leave for work around 6:30 (ish) and until not too long ago most of my drive was in the dark or pre-dawn. However for the past week or so I have been regaled with an absolutely beautiful dawning of the day. In my rear-view mirror as I come around a particular bend a stunning red sun surrounded by clouds of fire and gold take my breath away. And I realize: I've been focusing too much on the little things. With all the beauty around me, why do I never see it? Why am I so intent on getting to work fast, or planning out how best to clean, or how best to pay off my bills that I cannot just sit down and enjoy the flowers or sitting on the grass with my daughter? Granted that things like paying bills, feeding your family, etc are all important things, but they should not take up your entire day. That way only leads to stress and discontent. One of these days I want to just sit and watch the sun come up. The entire way. Then I think I'll play outside with my daughter for a while & make a picnic for us to take to a park with Daddy.

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" - Matthew 6:26 (NIV)