"hands"

Sometimes we have to be brought to our knees to be reminded to slow down.

Every now and then I get in too much of a hurry.  I run along my way, rushing here and there trying to get things done.  Then, out of the blue I will step off a curb wrong, or stomp my toe and do a weird dance trying not to fall.  Now and then, I will fall.

It occurred to me that this is a reminder.  A reminder that we aren’t meant to just rush through life at top speed, grabbing things, running through errands and trying to meet deadlines, that’s not what was intended.

What if I hadn’t been rushing the day I stepped off the curb wrong?  I might have watched my step, looking at my surroundings, feeling the soft breeze,  watching the snow fall, smelling the aroma of coffee outside the coffee shop. 
I had smiled at someone on the way in and opened the door, but I might have actually noticed what they looked like, wondered who they were, said a few more words and maybe even have made a new friend. 

How many opportunities do we miss each day by just rushing along in our lives?  What if there was a person I needed to know?  What if they had an answer I’d been searching for?  What if I had something they needed?

Not long ago I had a conversation with a nice lady at Target, her name was Phyllis and she was 84.  She said the week before she had looked up while she was walking and missed the curb.  She landed on her knees in the parking lot at Dillard’s.  She told me that a man with a walker came to her aid and helped her up.  They are now friends and have talked every night since.  As she was telling the story he walked up, using a cane and they looked tenderly at each other.  I smiled to myself as I watched them walk off holding hands.

It reminded me again that life is truly a journey and not to always rush along blindly, but to slow down and enjoy the scenery, say hello, and wait for the response.  People come in our lives for a reason, a season and sometimes, they stay, but only if we take the time to notice.

Cherry Coley (c)