Pause to see the Daisies!

It was Memorial Day weekend. We had no other plans so on the spur of the moment, we decided to go hiking locally to some trails nearby. We invited a friend and her daughter to go with us.

They agreed to go However they were short on time. At first, we were thinking of hiking a 5-mile loop. But when the friends decided to join, we had only 2 hours and I said we needed to find a shorter hike.

They," you can't do 5 miles in 2 hours?"

Me," No, I haven't been to the gym in a while. But that is not the point. There are daisies along the way and all kinds of wildflowers and the pretty blue sky (it was). What's the point of walking outside if I can't stop to take any pictures? "

After going back and forth, all of us agreed on a smaller trail. And they agreed for me to stop to take "a picture or two "of the "daisies". Right, like that was going to happen. A picture or two, of the “daisies” ...

Needless to say, we walked only 2.8 miles in 2 hours and stopped to take pictures of the daisies, some wildflowers, a giant magnolia (even they stopped and loved it) and some mulberries.

They passed by the daisies, and didn’t notice them.

I passed by some turtles, some toads, frogs and didn’t notice them. (I don't like animals of any sort or shape)

Everyone noticed the giant southern Magnolia tree and the Mulberries.

All in all, it turned out to be a good day and everyone ended up enjoying our little excursion.

Here is the moral of the story:

It’s funny how all of us noticed different things along the same path. What caught my eye, did not even register for other people and vice versa. But when we paused, like truly paused, we saw beautiful things everywhere. Some were in plain sight, some were tucked away. And that’s true for real life as well. Sometimes, the best part isn’t the walk or the destination, but the tiny, unexpected moments, the simple joys (in my case the daisies) that make us stop, look up, and smile.

So, have you had one of those walks where you paused to appreciate the “daisies”?

The above excursion happened last year. I am just now catching up with my writing.

Comments

Tanvee said…

Lovely post! I always notice the little bits of sky that peek through the trees above me, especially on a bright sunny day when the sky is blue and clear.

July 21, 2025 at 7:43 AM

Rekha's Ramblings said…

Thank you. I am happy to hear that.

July 21, 2025 at 2:23 PM

My self care journey - Oxygen mask.

“In the event of a sudden drop in pressure, an oxygen mask will drop from above. Secure your own mask first before assisting others.” The first time I heard this, I was flying for the first time in my life on an international flight from Mumbai to Atlanta via London. I was so excited to go to America on my own that I did not really pay that much attention to this routine preflight announcement. Since I had flown to America, it also meant flying back, again, several times to go home. I heard the same announcement during all those trips but at that point, they were still some words, their true meaning still had not registered. Then came another first time of my life, this time it was flying with my first born, for the first time. By this time, I was not as excited about flying, the novelty had completely worn off. Now I am only concerned about the safety of my baby, he is sitting in my lap, one year old. Then they make the above preflight announcement, in several diffe...

An Abundance of Flowers !

An Abundance of Flowers It’s one of the writing prompts for April. Spring arrives , bringing with it an abundance of flowers. It’s finally here in the Northern Hemisphere, and that means a world bursting into bloom. I grew up in a tropical country where there was no distinct fall, and therefore, no spring. Everything stayed green throughout the year. But now, living far above the tropics, I experience the beauty of seasonal change. With fall comes the shedding of leaves, and spring brings a wave of colors. The first to bloom around here are the daffodils . I had planted a few bulbs a few years ago and happy to say that they have multiplied . Before moving to the U.S., I had never seen a daffodil. There’s something about them that I can’t quite put into words, but their sight always fills me with hope and happiness. Some years, we’ve had snow on the ground, and yet, these bright y...

Flying !!

Next week, I am flying back home, to India. And as much as I love to travel, I do not like flying. It’s not just a mild dislike—it’s a genuine dread. Nearly 30 years ago, I got on a plane to come to the US, eventually making it our home. But it also set the stage for a lifetime of back-and-forth journeys to visit family, most of our family still lives in India including parents. Flying is unavoidable now, no matter how much I wish otherwise. A majority of the time, we plan these trips months in advance but have also flown at a day's notice. Thirty years ago, though, things were different. There were no nonstop flights between the U.S. and India. And even though a trip like that involved multiple stops, layovers, and logistical challenges, it wasn’t such a hassle. It was pre 9/11. Now, we are simply used to it. That’s just the way. A few years ago, they started offering nonstop flights from the US to India. Flights from JFK, New York to Delhi or Mumbai in 15...

Rekha's Ramblings

Search This Blog