Stop and Smell the Neighbor's Roses

It’s Mother’s Day in a pandemic world.

I spend my days working from home, anxious about my parents, kids, friends, neighbors, and people I don’t even know who are struggling. I’m stressing about what kind of life will exist when this is over. Or whether it will be over. Or… you get the idea. 

So I stop to smell the roses.

To help ease the craziness, I take a three-mile walk every morning and evening. One neighbor’s roses transport me to my grandmother’s house. Another neighbor, a block up, has blooms that smell of my sweet aunt’s perfume. Whiffs of narcissus, lavender, and sweet peas at various stops along my route spur memories of my mom’s garden favorites. Some neighbors leave iris bulbs, herbs, lemons, and oranges out on the sidewalk for passersby. And that sends my spirits soaring.

I love having this time to myself to just… be.

We’re going through a lot, and we all just need to be a little kinder and easier on ourselves.

So for Mother’s Day, give yourself a gift: Stop and smell the flowers that are right under your nose. You’ll be amazed where they will take you.