Has LIFE Gotten In Your Way?

This afternoon my sister mentioned the last post that I had written as it had included some thoughts on grieving.  We had just recently experienced the unexpected loss of her son.

Anyway, after we hung up the phone I took a look and was surprised that it had been so long since I had written anything on this site.  If you come here often looking for new content – then I apologize to you.

I was with a new group of people last week and we were talking about ourselves in order to get to know each other.  I used the phrase “life got in my way for the last year.”  Someone thought that was a really good phrase.  I guess that is the excuse I would use for not having written here for a while.

It also seems to be the excuse I used for not having gotten myself out into the world much this past year.

I seem to use that phrase often – perhaps as an excuse rather than a reason – I’m not sure.  However, I do know that we all get so involved in what we are doing on a day to day basis that that “normal” life tends to get in the way of our doing something new and different or even unexpected – which is what life is really about.

When is the last time you reached out to someone with a helping hand or a kindness of some sort?  When did you last stop what you were doing to phone someone who was thrilled to hear from you?  When is the last time you actually stopped to answer an e-mail from a dear friend who had asked you how you were doing?

When is the last time you grabbed some food and took the family on an unexpected adventure?  Or how about inviting someone to dinner that you don’t know very well?  Isn’t that what life really should be?

Life – always getting in our way.  Cooking and cleaning, working and transporting children, attending committee meetings or music rehearsals – the list is endless.  I think that we become so consumed with what HAS to be done in order for our lives to not turn into chaos, that we forget to stop and look around us.

Yesterday I came home and was in a hurry to unload my groceries, finish the laundry, get dinner started.  And then I noticed that my neighbor was outside with his English bulldog puppies.  I really hesitated to take the time to go see them as I had so many other things on my mind that I thought HAD to be done NOW!

Well, I did stop. I left the groceries in the car and went right over.  What a great experience!  Cute little puppies that were warm and soft and cuddly.  They loved being held.  They waddled around on their short legs and made me laugh.  Yes, it was an unusual moment but that was living.  And it lifted my spirits for the rest of the evening.

Look at that cute face! How could you not feel good after playing with that?

Image by Shamey Jo via Flickr

I had a moment of living life rather than letting life get in my way.

The old cliche “stop and smell the roses” really is true.

Why not stop and live your life rather than letting your life live you.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.