Time to stop and smell the...dandelions???

I've often contemplated how wonderfully innocent and pure children are and how they can find such happiness in the little things. I've wondered how funny the world would be if we never lost that quality and it wouldn't be uncommon to see an adult skipping on the way up to a buffet or trying out some sweet, new dance moves during a meeting. Obviously I am not going to be the adult that starts that trend but wouldn't it be great to hold on to some of that careless abandon and the ability to find joy almost everywhere you look? How freeing would it be to not always worry about what others are thinking, how your actions or words are going to be perceived or even to just do whatever it is your little heart desires without first considering twelve possible consequences.

It just amazes me how different kids see the world and I am honored to be able to catch a glimpse of that every day. Today Lily excitedly informed me that there were a whole bunch of "those beautiful yellow flowers" on the big hill across the street and she wondered if we could "please go pick some". Of course, I knew these "beautiful yellow flowers" were in fact weeds but far be it from me to rain on her flower picking parade. We crossed the street and suddenly we were in Lily's dream world. Happily, she took off running across the empty lot, headed straight towards all those beautiful flowers...

She picked and picked until her purple bucket was filled, all the while narrating this awesome experience. She talked about how lucky the people with the yard nearest this field were because they got to have all these pretty flowers in their yard. She was quite sure they wouldn't mind sharing some of their flowers with us. And she blissfully told me, "I just love doing this!" I believe she really did. It's funny how just one hour today was able to change my perspective and instead of seeing this... All I could see was this...So often it takes something super exciting and out of the ordinary to really make an impact. Unfortunately those big deals are pretty rare and while you are waiting for them, you may be missing out on a whole lot of happiness.

Take a minute today to stop and enjoy the little things. They're there and they are beautiful. It may just give you a whole new perspective.