I have a pineapple sitting in my refrigerator.
It’s been there for 3 weeks.
I love fresh pineapple. Usually, I slice one up, the kids and I eat what we want and then I freeze the rest for smoothies. When I have family parties, I love making a huge fruit salad with fresh peaches, strawberries and pineapple.
So why is this un-sliced pineapple staring back at me?
My life has been too busy.
Every time I see the pineapple, I think “I don’t have time to cut it up right now. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
After some examination, I see it’s turned brown. There are soft spots and it’s brittle and shriveled.
It doesn’t appear to be good anymore.
I didn’t take the time to enjoy it.
This old pineapple caused me to reflect today.
On myself
On my kids
and on my relationships;
a little something I like to call "personal inventory."
My life is spinning at a pace that sometimes makes me dizzy.
There are so many amazing opportunities and adventures; ideas and dreams. There are so many things I want to experience, I want to touch and feel. I want to take risks and run and try to reach the moon.
But there’s laundry and a check-engine light on in my car and cobwebs on my ceiling.
Life means responsibilities and when push comes to shove, the responsibilities win, because my kid need clean socks and taxes need to get done.
So, the pineapple sits in the back of my refrigerator, ignored until one day, I see something that looks like a brittle palm tree prong staring back at me. I remember when I bought it, why I bought it and wonder how the opportunity slipped away.
Can it be reclaimed or is it gone forever?
I make a commitment with myself.
Slow down, take time to smell the roses, let slobbery kisses from my kids linger on my lips, take a walk every day and compliment the people I love
(like when the counselor showed me his carrot crop from our garden).
When I shower I will let the conditioner sit on my hair for the recommended three-minutes instead of rushing to rinse it off. I will be in the moment, laugh when my children laugh, see life through their eyes and sympathize with there struggles and by golly, take the time to eat fresh pineapple.
Linking up to:
Oh my. You've got me thinking now. I must do the same thing all the time. Being a mom is the busiest job around!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you are feeling. There's always so much we want to do and so little we actually can do. You do a fabulous job managing your family and other hobbies.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet reflective post.
ReplyDeleteOh!! So well said! sigh....and so true! Too busy to even deal with the alluring pineapple. I've been there way too often.
ReplyDeleteWise and wonderful post. Thanks!
ReplyDelete=)
PS. I'm pretty late posting today, so here's my link:
Vistas
Amazing! You are so right about enjoying the moments.
ReplyDeleteThe same thing happens to me every time I buy a pineapple...why do they have to be so hard to cut into! Can't everything enjoyable just be easy...oh well. Taking a walk everyday sounds nice, a goal I should acquire as well. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel and this is a wonderful post!and I love love love pineapple too . I just chop it up right away and put it into a bowl in the fridge to eat for snack or smoothies . real quick :p I know that isn't the point of your post but I am being sarcastic .
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good post. But I am going to admit.. when I saw this post... I thought you had a epiphany and were going to paint this pineapple in eleborate colors.. and sell it on ebay for lots of money! *smile*
ReplyDeleteVery thoughtful post! It's good to stop and smell the roses or in your case the pineapple!
ReplyDeleteI really felt for you when I read this post. We probably each have a story (or ten!) similar to your pineapple story. Life is just way too hectic and we take on way more than is healthy for us - but that's the state of the world in which we live. So - don't beat yourself up about that pineapple. You've got it right about slobbery kisses, kind words and time with the ones you love. There will be other pineapples - just thank this one for the lesson, see if there's a bite or two to salvage and then compost the rest and don't think about it again!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Southern California
ReplyDeleteI am your newest follower. I invite you to visit my blog and follow me if you want too.
God Bless You :-)
~Ron
It's so easy to get caught up in everything and forget about the little things! I loved reading this post!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post! We all can learn something important from it. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis was such a wonderful post ... somethings we all need to be reminded of at times ... hmmm ...
ReplyDeleteSo, were you able to eat any of the pineapple? Fortunately, we're able to see things like aging pineapples and click! We stop, we think, we unwind, we let go. For a while. It's life. But, I like to think each time, that "smelling the roses" lasts longer.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing lesson from a pineapple. Now, excuse me while I go slice the fresh pineapple sitting on my counter before it shrivels. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think you do an amazing job of living.
ReplyDeleteAnd, geez, I think you definitely got your moneys worth out of the pineapple. You certainly gave us a lot to think about.
This was such a vivid post for me. Your message was loud and clear.
And although I don't have a pineapple to cut up on the counter I am heading out to my garden now and leaving blogging for later.
Thanks for a wonderful link.
A+
PS Love your sidewalk.
wow, lessons learnt from pineapples..
ReplyDeleteI love it fresh too, Glad to see you grow with it. bless you.