STOP! Life is Short; Smell the Roses

I’m often reminded of how precious and short life can be when I’m talking to someone that has experienced a sudden loss in their lives. Yesterday morning I went to drop off some AVON books on the baby side of the daycare where my grand-girls attend. As I was dropping off my books, I saw one of my customers, Ms. Mary. I proceeded to ask her how she was doing since I don’t see her as often as I once did. She stated not so good, you didn’t hear? I said no ma’am. She goes on to say, I have been off for a while, my husband died last month. I said, oh I am so sorry for you loss. She looked so sad. I asked her had he been sick or was it something that happen overnight. 

Ms. Mary explained that the Saturday before Easter he had complained about his throat hurting and asked her to go to the store to get some throat spray. She stated that, he looked frail and he was acting as if it was hard for him to breath. She told her son, we are going to take your daddy to the hospital. She said her husband is stubborn and said he wasn’t going. She said by then something happen that made her call 911. Evidently, when she made the call she was in another room.

The operator told her to make sure he’s sitting up so about the time she went back into the room he was sitting up but he had slumped to the side and was dead. All I could say was wow and I am so sorry. She looked and sounded so sad. I was just crushed. I said, so did he die of a heart attack or was it a stroke? She said no, come to find out he had strep, an abscess tooth, and the infection and got into his blood stream and poisoned him. I was thinking OMG. I asked her had he complained of his throat hurting before and she said no. I said so you all never knew he had strep and she again said no.  I know it seems as if I asked many questions but you never know until you asked. The last questioned I asked was how long they had been married and she said 24 years. She said, I still cannot wrap my head around it, I said I’m sure. As I was leaving, I told her I would keep her and her family in my prayers and then I took the girls to the other side to drop them off.  

I was still thinking about her as I drove off. Life is so short, one day you are here and the next you are gone. We are always in remembrance of this when someone dies suddenly we love, know, or someone we had just spent time with or talked with on the phone. For me it’s a reminder to slow down. I know I’m always in rush to do this and that, without slowing down and actually taking a breather before I’m on to  the next thing I have to do. I’ve actually come a long way and have slowed down but I know I can tweak it a bit more to a slower pace to enjoy what is in front of me. There is so much to be admired around you.

Taking the time to actually take in the scenery with a walk and smell the roses while doing so is actually a great way to take in God’s creation. Visiting a museum, art gallery or listen to poetry is another way to slow down and inhale what life has to offer. There are many ideas someone can think about that will make them STOP and do. The moral of this post is to remind you we all need to know when to STOP and enjoy moments that are right in front of us. We never know when it is our time. That is why living in the present is so important.  It reminds us to appreciate life and the people around us.

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How can you STOP and enjoy the moments that are right in front of you?  

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As always keeping it real with,

Ya Girl, Dee

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