WEBVTT - Stop and savor the flowers

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to try to savor the flowers as they bloom.

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<v Speaker 1>Spring blossoms are fleeting, but we have the power to

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<v Speaker 1>make any stretch of time feel bigger and more memorable

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<v Speaker 1>by being smart about what we do with it. So

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<v Speaker 1>this episode is first airing in March, as we are

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<v Speaker 1>coming out of a long winter. There has been a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of snow and a lot of very cold temperatures.

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<v Speaker 1>Even if winter is long, though it can't last forever.

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<v Speaker 1>In late February, I began seeing some daffodil shoots poking

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<v Speaker 1>up from the ground, even in the middle of the snow.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, if winter seems to last too long, much

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<v Speaker 1>of spring seems too short. Each individual species of plant

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<v Speaker 1>tends to blossom for just a few weeks. They go

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<v Speaker 1>in waves, with the daffodils and crocuses and hellebores heading

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<v Speaker 1>to the forscythia and the plum trees, magnolias and the

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<v Speaker 1>yoshino cherries. The tulips then come up, and the quands

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<v Speaker 1>and cherry trees, the dogwoods and azaleas come after that,

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<v Speaker 1>along with the crab apples rounding into the roses of

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<v Speaker 1>June and the lilies of July, at least in my

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<v Speaker 1>part of the world. Blink and you might miss something.

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<v Speaker 1>I know I've been hoping some weeks when I have

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<v Speaker 1>traveled over spring break that the quans and cherry trees

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<v Speaker 1>aren't completely done when I get back. Time marches along

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<v Speaker 1>at the same pace no matter what we do, but

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<v Speaker 1>we have the power to make it feel like time

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<v Speaker 1>is stretching. We can savor time instead of just letting

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<v Speaker 1>it slip away by interacting with time a little differently.

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<v Speaker 1>One way to do this is to be more observant.

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<v Speaker 1>Challenge yourself to document the flowers as they come up

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<v Speaker 1>first April, May, June, July. Take pictures with your phone.

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<v Speaker 1>Maybe at the end of the season, you can make

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<v Speaker 1>an album featuring the flora of your town. Learn the flowers'

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<v Speaker 1>names through an app like picture. This record the dates

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<v Speaker 1>they blossom and how long they lasted, so you can

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<v Speaker 1>mark those on a calendar to watch for them next year.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also make memorable experiences with the flowers. Time

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<v Speaker 1>seems to slow down when we do things that are

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<v Speaker 1>novel or intense. So become a floral tourist, something you

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<v Speaker 1>can only do at this particular time of year. I

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<v Speaker 1>like visiting botanical gardens around my home, including Longwood and Chanticleer.

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<v Speaker 1>I also like visiting places like the Title Basin in Washington,

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<v Speaker 1>d C. To see the cherry blossoms, or Holland Ridge

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<v Speaker 1>Farms in New Jersey to see all the tulips in April.

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<v Speaker 1>If there is a garden near your office, make a

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<v Speaker 1>point of getting out on breaks to stop and smell

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<v Speaker 1>the flowers. Really. Then notice the smell. Then maybe even

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<v Speaker 1>write in a journal about having done so, or tell

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<v Speaker 1>somebody about it. This will make these breaks seem more

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<v Speaker 1>noticeable as you recount the pleasure and thus experience it

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<v Speaker 1>a second time. You can bring flowers inside if you've

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<v Speaker 1>got some growing in your yard, pick a few to

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<v Speaker 1>put on your desk or on the kitchen counter. Make

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<v Speaker 1>a point of looking at them during a zoom call.

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<v Speaker 1>Fair daffodils make anything feel more cheerful. By noticing and

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<v Speaker 1>savoring the flowers, we become more aware of the time

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<v Speaker 1>that they are there. We don't slip from March to

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<v Speaker 1>June without noticing. Sure, it can be a very busy

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<v Speaker 1>time of year, but when you make a point of

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<v Speaker 1>observing the season, the season can seem to stretch. Slowing

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<v Speaker 1>down time isn't a bad thing in the meantime. This

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<v Speaker 1>is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the

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<v Speaker 1>most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.

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<v Speaker 1>If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach

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<v Speaker 1>me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,

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<v Speaker 1>please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

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<v Speaker 1>listen to your favorite shows.