Taking Time to Notice

Yellow Hibiscus

When I was living in the Marshall Islands, occasionally I would walk or bike home with a certain friend who lived in my neighborhood. Without fail, whether walking or biking, that friend would always stop at one of the neighbor's homes to smell the roses. This wasn't an exaggerated showy thing or a preachy "smell the roses" thing, but my friend genuinely appreciated the beauty and scent of the flowers. She would take her time smelling one or two and admiring the deep magenta color, then she would continue on her way home. When you live in a place and look at the same things everyday, it is easy to forget how beautiful your surroundings may be. I have lived on islands for six years now, and very seldom take the time to indulge in the majesty of the plants or the ocean. It's pretty shameful, I admit. So today, walking downtown to meet a friend for breakfast, I took a moment and "smelled the roses". Granted these aren't roses, but they are stunning yellow hibiscus flowers. I've seen my share of hibiscus flowers, but don't recall ever seeing yellow ones. It was lovely to take the time to breathe and see something beautiful.

What beautiful things live in your neighborhood?