Stopping to smell the roses

Last week, I had a very important conversation with God. It went something like this.

Me: Sorry, but there’s no way in hell I’m sitting on that hospital seat to take a shower.
God: Well, Miss Lisa, that’s very interesting, because you can’t seem to stand up, now can you?
Me: I suppose it just so happens that I can’t.
God: I guess you don’t really have a choice then, do you?
Me: It seems I don’t. Thank you for pointing that out.

Later that evening, the wisest man in all of Cambridge appeared by my bedside with a dozen roses (see above photo. Sorry ladies, he’s already taken).

Many dear friends have been asking me for the past two weeks if I needed anything. Isn’t there anything they could pick up for me, drop off, cook, buy? It was true, I needed so many things. Thank goodness, my friends are so smart and talented, they just figured out on their own what I needed, in exactly the right sizes, shapes, and flavors, at exactly the right times. God knows I was too much of a mess to tell them what to do.

But after I'd been lying there for a while and Mr. Wonderful showed up with the roses, he said he thought maybe I needed something nice to look at. Something colorful to keep me company. Had I taken a deep breath lately? he asked. See? Didn't I tell you he was wonderful?

After a whirlwind two weeks of doctor visits, fevers, and general upheaval, I think I finally learned something that day about stillness. About stopping to smell the roses. Or just looking at them with a smile on your face if you can't really get up.

Also this week, I’ve added another thing to the list of things you can do from bed rest: paint your nails. In fact, there has never been a better time in my life to paint my nails. I’ve never been more still. Since I'll have to take a break in between each one, they're going to look spectacular. Thank goodness for fabulous roses, irridescent nail polish, and slow living.

By the way, as a follow up from my August post, I’ve had a little change of heart. I’ve decided to keep my Glamour subscription. More on that, and other little things, next time.