Sharon Scott, LPC, LMFT - This Fall savor the smells, sights and sounds of the day and night.
This evening I was once again awed by the beautiful Texas sunset as I was driving home with a friend from eating eggplant parmesan at a delightful country bistro.
The setting sun turned the sky gray and salmon, then pink and blue and finally shades of dark blue and black. It was breathtaking! As a 3rd generation Texan, I might be partial to Texas sunsets. I’ve often said the only place I’ve seen prettier ones was in Africa.
Although not born in the country, I live there now and savor the smells, sights and sounds of the day and night—especially the night. I feel for people who are only paying attention to the dings and pings of technology. I have fond memories of both sets of grandparents’ front porches and rarely a TV on (in fact one didn’t even have a TV!).
We’re always in such a hurry to get someplace or finish something. I remember once while attending a week-long workshop in Springfield, MA years ago, my professor (whom several of us were staying with him and his wife for the week) getting us to HIS class late as he knew these southerners had never seen a New England town square and he wanted to show it to us. I admire punctuality… but I think I admire more relaxed people who savor the moments. That’s truly all we have—this moment.
I hope you think about slowing down and being a kid again sometimes with your kids. Swing with them… look at the clouds… sit outside… roast marshmallows… watch the squirrels preparing for winter… walk the dog through a beautiful park… count fireflies… watch the hummingbirds departing for warmer climate… play board games—and laugh loudly while doing all this. You will be an excellent role model to appreciate Mother Earth, enjoy every moment one has and also decrease worries. Remember it’s not the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away.
Happy fall, ya’ll!
Copyright © 2010, Sharon Scott. No reproduction without written permission from author.
P.S. Please read Sharon’s other column “The Counselor’s Corner.”
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Sharon Scott, LPC, LMFT, has been making a difference in peoples’ lives for 30 years though her international keynotes and workshops, her eight award-winning books, and her private counseling services. Five of her books are a charming series for elementary-age children that she "co-authored" with her savvy cocker spaniel Nicholas. Each beautifully illustrated book teaches a valuable living skill such as managing emotions in Life’s Not Always Fair, building character in Nicholas’ Values, and making wise choices in Too Smart for Trouble. Sharon’s best-seller for teens is How to Say No and Keep Your Friends, 2nd Ed. Her books are available from HRD Press, 800-822-2801 or www.hrdpress.com/SharonScott . For more information on Sharon’s many workshop topics that she can bring to your child’s school or community, please see her website at www.SharonScott.com.
