Stop and Smell the Wildflowers

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Of all the days at the office, I never once stumbled upon a wildflower.

But since I hopped in my car and left Ohio, wildflowers have become a part of my daily life.

To me, wildflowers are more than a mark of the season, or some ephemeral form of beauty.

To me, wildflowers are nature’s neon sign, asking me to come in and stay a while.

These wildflowers remind me to pull off the side of the road, step off the trail, and live in the present.

Wildflowers remind me to stay in the cold running water so long that I catch a sun burn. Wildflowers remind me to get so close that I get stung by a bee. Wildflowers remind me to look for the all the forms of life I’ve never seen. Wildflowers remind me to sit down right in the middle of the Pacific Crest Trail, not because I’m tired, but because life is long and these moments of happiness, like wildflowers, are short lived.