Stop and Smell the Roses

He will lift your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.

Job 8:21

I’m pretty sure I will never write a blog about gardening. I’m really good at growing weeds.
This stopping to smell the roses involves loved ones. I have some terrific friends. Some I have known since jr. high, high school, college and some I only recently met. One of those friends recently asked me about what my goals are now. Surprisingly, I had an answer that I had been thinking about a lot lately. It is to make an effort to keep in touch, not just by text, Facebook, or a funny email joke, but by actually having face to face interaction. Not just friends, but family as well.
I recently went to San Antonio with a couple of college friends for a couple of days. Honestly, we didn’t do anything. We went to the spa and never left the hotel but had an amazing time, just talking about the past, the present, and the future. On the way home I stopped in Austin to visit my aunt. I got to have lunch with my cousin, who I hadn’t seen since my mom’s funeral. As I write this I’m on a plane headed to surprise a teaching friend from Stephenville for her 60th birthday. I’m with 4 other women that I don’t get to see much anymore. We are headed to the Outer Banks for a surprise. She has no idea we are going to be there. Can’t wait!

Last week, Jacky and I took his horses to Stephenville to be shod and had lunch with our former neighbors and probably our first friends we met there. We had a 2 1/2 hour lunch that was the most fun we’ve had in a long time. I have some college friends, most from the dorm and we have a yearly gathering that we started about 3 years ago. I missed the last 1 because I was moving but I’m looking forward to the next 1.
I’ve decided my laundry can wait, we can eat out, we can file an extension on our taxes. If I have a chance to spend time with the people I care about I’m going to take it. None of us have tomorrow promised so don’t just say, “I’ll see them next week, or next month, or next year”. Make time for family and friends.  Go visit them when you can. Make that phone call and talk until your phone dies. Stop and smell the roses because everything has a season.
P.S. The surprise birthday weekend was a blast. My face actually hurt from laughing so much.