Stop and smell the roses...

That song was one of my favorites growing up. "You gotta stop, and smell the roses. You gotta count your many blessings every day. You're gonna find your way to heaven, is a rough and rocky road if you don't stop and smell the roses along the way".

Whenever I hear those lyrics ringing in my head, it makes me stop, and take stock of myself and where I am at in life with work, family, situations. Am I judging others unfairly, am I appreciating the laughter and beauty in the day? Even death provides a certain beauty and peace, along with humor in some cases. My Uncle Robert was buried with a great smirk on his face. One that I remember well. In our grief, we all had that humorous smirk to ease our tears, and set things right.

When the roses are budding, spring is here, in full bloom of the summer, we enjoy their fragrance and color, in the Autumn, the leaves lay dormant and begin to droop, Come winter, the blossoms are gone, and the plant is asleep, waiting to reawaken and begin the process anew. That is the essence of our own lives. However, I always have a memory of the fragrance of the rose in my mind. It is up to me to recall it in the winter to bring a little summer sunshine to my day. My parents taught me this as a child. It is a lesson I will always cherish, and put to use I hope, when my attitude needs adjusting.