"Tree Smelling"

I’ve lived in Hawaii for five months now, but it was only a month ago I learned that when walking under a plumeria tree, it’s really important to stop and take a breath. A really, really deep breath. The experience is akin to what I think Heaven must smell like (because all the senses are important to God, you know…doesn’t it make sense that Heaven would even smell good??).

I’m ashamed to say that the first time I came to this realization was almost an accident. Straining against gravity, I was pushing my double stroller up the ocean front street that leads from my house towards downtown. The heat of the day had turned a leisurely stroll into somewhat of a sweaty workout and as I passed under the pink-hued tree I sucked in a desperate breath – hoping for a second wind to kick in. The moment the incredible scent hit my olfactory cells, it stopped me in my tracks. I backed up my stroller and took another deep breath. I had smelled the flowers before…when my son, daughter or husband would present me with a single bloom they had picked up off the sidewalk and christened as a love offering. But I had never experienced the “scentsation”(if you will) of an entire tree full of the aromatic flower, saturating the air all around it. The glorious smell put a huge smile on my face and somehow gave me a burst of energy to continue on my trek.

That afternoon, I mourned a wasted four months…and chided myself for being so distracted by life that I let that time go by without appreciating such a simple gift of God’s creation.
I recognize that Motherhood is a busy time of life…but surely we are not meant to be so bogged down in it that life’s treasured moments slip by unnoticed? As I pondered the whole situation further, I was disheartened to realize that "tree smelling" was not the only experience I had missed out on lately.

How did my baby suddenly turn into a toddler without my noticing it? When did he learn how to put on his own shoes, drink out of a regular cup and use utensils independently? When did my daughter stop calling me “Mama,” learn to count to 15, and start using the phrase, “Just 5 more minutes, Mom.” And how come my arms feel so empty these days…wasn’t it just yesterday that I was packing around at least one kid on my hip at any given time? What am I supposed to do with two free hands anyways??

Sometimes I am too busy trying to look past the toddler sitting on my face to fully enjoy the bedtime story…too consumed with cleaning up the mashed peas off the dining room chandelier to recognize my son’s superior aim…too uncomfortable in the Tinkerbell dress-up shoes that are 5 sizes too small to marvel at my daughter’s imaginative play. Apparently, I’ve been so focused on getting where I’m going that I missed out some of the treasures along the way.

Why is it that we often get so caught up in the destination that we fritter away the journey?

I no longer walk underneath the prolific plumeria tree without stopping to drink in of its beautiful scent. I have resolved to live my life more intentionally. Taking every moment captive and enjoying the little blessings that are hidden in each day. It is not always easy, but I think it must be a richer way to live And I know too well that the day will come when there will be no little bodies crawling all over me as I read the bedtime stories…dinners will become dull and sophisticated again and I will get strange looks if I wear those Tinkerbell shoes around the house.

Might as well linger here a while and drink it all in.