Stopping to Smell the Roses

Here he is, leg up (this is his new chill position he does while wagoning), touching the weird spruce.

Whether he is playing in the front room or his crib, whether we are on a walk, in the pool or at a restaurant I really enjoy putting myself in Stan Bear's onesie and experiencing everything around me as if it were brand new. Being responsible for a small human helps a big human, like me, appreciate the little things...the things that I may have taken for granted or walked right by before.

We've lived in our sweet neighborhood for about 6 years now. I have walked, biked and run around these hilly blocks hundreds of times. It hasn't been until this past year that I've noticed the amazing woodpecker's nest that has been carved out of a hollow tree branch - and you could hear the baby woodpeckers in there in the earlier part of spring! I have crouched down to the grass at seven in the morning, with my butt sticking up in the air, to look at all of the miniscule dewdrops on each green blade. I look at puddles with wonder and pull grass or little leaves and drop them into the puddle to watch them float - I even stomp in puddles and watch the water move. I stop and look up through the tree branches and watch how the wind moves the leaves - I love that sound. When I hear the red Cardinal go, "Cheeerp, cheeerp, cheeerp!" I stop and look for it - they are usually easy to spot - the only brilliant red in a canopy of green. I watch the bevies of deer as they stare back at me. I look at flowering and unflowering weeds and touch them. I pick dandelion flowers, the fluffy ones with seeds, and I blow them and watch the seeds float away; sometimes I just touch the white globes to see what they feel like. I walk up to trees: Black Jack Oaks, Loblolly Pines (I love that name), Sweet Gums and Red Buds and touch their bark. I look at the spider webs that have been woven in between the crevices of the bark. I observe the cycles of magnolia flowers from strong buds to gorgeous, hearty flowers to prickly receptacles. I stop and listen to the wind and then I run because rain is coming. If I'm not fast enough, I stop running, I put my arms out and feel what this wet stuff feels like dropping from the sky and onto my open palms. I watch cats with joy and love when they drop down and roll on their backs showing off their soft underbellies. I watch dogs and don't mind when their wet noses touch my face or legs. I see my neighbors, who I've walked by countless times with a simple wave or spoken hello, but now I either know their names or their dogs' names...they all know Stanley's name. "Hi Stanley!" or one neighbor says, "Stan Bear! How are you!?" I now know Laura and her poodle Windsor who jumps gracefully when she is excited. I know the white cat, Smoot, with one green eye and one blue eye and his owner who also has white hair. I know Andy on the corner and his next door neighbor with the front yard full of wildflowers - we always stop and chat about what's blooming. We wave at the young family who seem to always be in their yard playing or gardening. We know the little girl, Malia, who lives on the corner and the little boy Sergio who lives around the corner. We know Tim and Eric and their Beagle, Norman. We know Mango the cat, who lives next door with his family of two adults and two kids - they also have chickens! We know the little boy Archie across the street and his two big Akitas, one whose name is Ziggy. We know Tom. We know Chris and Denise and their black and tan Cocker Spaniel, Simba. We know Leslie. We know Rose the Golden Retriever. We know Juliette and George and their two big dogs Coach (I love that name!) and Gattaca. All along I talk to Stan Bear about what I see. I try pointing things out to him and explaining to him what I see; if I notice him looking at something I try to talk to him about it. It's amazing what one little person can do. He helps make a tighter community. He has taught me to stop and smell the roses. He has taught me to be excited about the little things, to enjoy the animals more, to be in awe of the rain, to stomp in a puddle and to love thy neighbor. Whether Stan Bear knows it or not, he has been a great teacher in slowing down, observation, understanding and appreciation.