drink it in

Have you ever noticed how babies seems to drink in the world around them? They take it all in with as much intensity as drinking the milk that nourishes their body. As they grow they are taught how to focus which, in turn, teaches them to block out the things that are not immediately of importance in what they are doing. And as adults, the hustle and bustle leads to people running from place to place with such routine that they almost don’t remember how they got to where they are. When you think about it, it’s kind of sad.

Think of all the wonderful things that are so easily taken for granted. If you were to open up all of your senses, what would you cherish?

Here are a few of the many things that I’ve enjoyed lately:

• Salivating at the smell of onions cooking.
• The amazing way you feel when looking into admiring eyes.
• The rhythmic crunching sound my shoes make on a trail run.
• Stopping mid-run to take in the amazing view.
• My legs working the ascent.
• Giving a friendly embrace and feeling the other let go of just a little of their pain.
• The pride on my son’s face after placing a high-scoring word on the Scrabble board.
• A single drop of sweat rolling down my back.
• Singing in the shower.
• The joy of the descent.
• Listening to a married couple of many years story-tell in tandem.
• The rainbow that follows a good rain.
• Listening to the silence in the early morning.
• Dark chocolate
• Standing in the cold ocean.

A friend of mine once told me that it didn’t matter how beautiful a race course was because he didn’t ever notice the course while running it. I never could understand that. How hard is it to look around while you are running? I like to take it ALL in: the people, views, conversations around me. Okay, maybe not ALL of it. I could do without the disgusting loogies left in the middle of the road for us all to maneuver around. Anyway…

What ever you are doing this weekend — running, swimming, cycling, hiking, hunting for Easter eggs — take it in.