Stop to Smell the Roses

So, today I stopped by Home Depot to pick up some string for my weed whacker. I couldn't help but stop into the garden department. Oh, the feeling I got when I walked in and took in the beauty of all the colorful flowers around me! It was euphoria!!!

I’m used to spending a lot of time working in my garden. They know me by name in the Garden Dept of Home Depot, I was in there so often buying flowers. With Grad School, all that has stopped. Walking through there today, the craving to buy flowers to plant was overwhelming! But with what time am I going to do this??? I walked through every isle, taking it all in.

My, has my life changed. I don’t seem to have time for simple pleasures anymore. I’m a stop to smell the roses person. I need that! I still go out and sit in my garden, but it’s not the same as getting out there and working it. I maintain with mowing, but I want to plant seasonal flowers. I want to spend a WHOLE day out there!

I can only hope that one day, I’ll be able to find the time for this simple pleasure again. This is a season in my life, where things are different and time is short. But one day, I’ll be able to really ENJOY life again. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy life. I do take time just to “play”. I’m going out for karaoke with Hannah tonight, in fact. But my REAL enjoyment comes from the outdoors. That, I haven’t had time for. My body CRAVES it! We’re also going to the zoo tomorrow, so that’ll be nice.

I’m trying really hard to manage my time wisely and get my homework done during the week, so that I can spend time enjoying Hannah on the weekends I have her. I’ve discovered that the weeks that I have Hannah on the weekend, are really strenuous! I have to work hard all week to get my homework done before the weekend. And this weekend, I’m also planning another oral presentation. So, that’s a lot of added work! But the semester is already half way through. I think I’ll do all right. I can’t expect to be perfect, because I don’t have the time to give each class my ALL. So, I will accept simply, “OK”. As long as I get that degree, I’m in better shape.