​I have always appreciated the phrase “stop and smell the roses” metaphorically which means to take time out of one’s busy schedule to appreciate or enjoy the beauty of life. On the other hand, I have only recently begun to appreciate it from a literal standpoint. The other day, I was out for a morning walk when I saw a gentleman approaching from the opposite direction. He was about 50 yards away when he stopped by a rose bush, bent over and took several deep smells from one of its blooms. When he finished smelling, he took a step back and saluted the bush with a “thumbs up.” As we passed, he smiled at me and said, “That’s a really fragrant rose bush, you should take the time to smell it.” Out of sheer curiosity, I did and wow, what an experience! I bent over one of the blooms and inhaled deeply through my nose several times as the fragrance seemed to make its way through my entire body. I found the experience so rewarding that I too stepped back and gave the rose bush a thumbs up. The next time you come to a blooming rose bush, take the time to stop and smell one or more of its blossoms. You’ll find that doing so will set the tone for the rest of your day.