hello blogger, internet,
Sometimes life isn't always roses and rainbows. Sometimes is actually pretty rough and it stinks. Life is messy, it gets stressful, and sometimes it can be extremely overwhelming. It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of work, school, and commitments that we become too busy to take a deep breath and relax. We forget to take in the little moments and just be.
I admit, I am one hundred percent guilty of this. The past semester has been anything but easy and stress free. I get so focused on class and studying and papers and assignments that it can, at times, consume me. And it is exhausting! Who wants that? Not me, that's for sure.
The other day I was walking my horse up to the barn. It was cold. Very cold. In the minuses cold. The ground was frozen and the air was dry and crisp. A light breeze was dancing in the air, brushing my cheeks with its chilling touch. I felt the angst to rush in to the barn to tack up and get on with my ride when something abruptly stopped me in my tracks. It was a foreign yet familiar scent. I breathed it in deeper and a calming rush flooded through my body. I closed my eyes lingering on the scent. Finally the knowing dawned on me.
It was the smell of my horse...
This, of course, must sound rather ridiculous. And I admit it is. I think that everyone associates certain smells with a certain emotion and to every person that scent is a different one, as is the emotion. I realize that many people probably think that horses smell bad. But they don't. Honestly. When they're clean its a sweet scent and to me it's comforting and peaceful. It's hard to explain, but if you have a particular scent that soothes you, perhaps you can relate. There's just something about it that makes me feel content.
The other ridiculous notion in this whole thing is the very obvious one; I see my horse every day. True. But as I was talking about at the beginning, we can get so caught up in the craziness that is life that we forget to take in the little moments. This was the case for me as of late. But with the realization that I had been ignoring all the little things that bring me joy, I was quick to do something about it. I wrapped my arms around my horse's lengthy neck, buried my nose into his furry coat, taking in a big whiff of his scent and just hung there. And now I am sounding like a crazy fool, so bare with me.
I think that when we take the time to focus on the little things in life it allows us the chance to take a deep breath and just revel in the joys we do have around us. And I get that sometimes this is really hard to do, I mean I found joy in something forgotten even though I take part in it every day. What I'm trying to say is that we shouldn't let stressful schedules get in the way of finding joy in the little moments that are easy to pass by without notice.
These moments can be a little as smelling a furry animal. And it's wonderful.
So, take a moment to stop and smell the roses today.
-m.o