We had a fun back-to-school bash on Monday. Afterwards, one of the other moms invited Noah over to play. He was THRILLED because our afternoon plans consisted of consecutive trips to Costco and Kroger. I gratefully obliged because those are two of my least favorite places to visit with the boys. 😉
Oaks and I headed to Costco.
I had a list. The purpose of the list is to help me remember, but also to help me stay focused. You see, walking through Costco for me is what it is like for kids to walk through a toy store. Quite possibly everything they sell looks interesting and useful.
It’s a real exercise in restraint.
This particular trip, I was going to do it. I was going to only buy the items on the list and we were going to leave. Don’t laugh. That really was my plan.
Until I saw these flowers.
I couldn’t help it, I had to stop. I’m not a “flower” girl, but this color! The vibrant orange and red reaching out from the bulb, was calling to me. I had to stop and admire them. When I looked up, my cart (which contained Oakley) was out of sight.
Which began the theme of our little trip.
When I noticed something cool, I’d over-dramatize my reaction to it. Then I’d gleefully swing the cart this way and that, exclaiming things like, “Oh, look at this!” and “Wow, did you see that?”, much to his chagrin. As soon as I let go of the handle, he’d maneuver his way to the nearest display and use his arms to push himself, in the cart, as far away as possible. We got a big kick out of our little game, even if the other shoppers did not.
It started with noticing beauty.
Our brains are wired to be stimulated by the beauty around us. So many times in our busy, fast-paced lives, we miss it. We’re like racehorses with blinders on. The blinders serve a purpose. They keep the horses focused on the race. Sometimes, like racehorses, we need to stay focused on the race. And we’ve gotten really good at wearing our blinders.
But sometimes, we need to take the blinders off.
We need to take a breath and notice all the beauty around us. We need to absorb all the life and color that surrounds us. We are wired to be inspired, encouraged and made well through beauty.
So take the blinders off today.
Give yourself a few moments to notice all the beauty around you. If you look for it, you are sure to find it.
to more love,
Crystal
