A couple of days ago, I was in a store walking directly to get the one thing I was there to get when something distracted me – an abundant display of artificial flowers. The big patches of color made me pause for a few seconds and even smile.  It’s human nature for us to be stopped in our tracks by a thing of beauty. Sometimes it’s a flower, but often it’s a sunset that grabs our attention, or a child’s laughter, a work of art, or even a gorgeous car. Someone has said that when we look at something beautiful, the reason it makes us feel good is because it touches our soul and is a reflection of the beauty of heaven.

As I looked at the pretty silk flowers, my mind wandered a bit. I do have a few artificial flowers around my home, but I would much rather have real ones. A lot of grocery stores now sell fresh flowers or plants and I make it a point to stop and look at them for a moment. I may be in a hurry, but I at least walk through that area to enjoy even a glimpse of them – you know, to take time to “smell the roses.”  Frequently, one bunch in particular will touch me and I bring it home to enjoy. 

Why do I want them more than the fake ones and why do they (usually) cost more? After a few minutes of thought, I came to this conclusion. We value real flowers for a couple of reasons – yes, they’re pretty in a way that artificial ones aren’t and some even fill our homes with a pleasant fragrance, but here’s the key. They aren’t always available and they won’t last. I think our knowledge of that fact is what makes them more valuable. We know they’re only going to grace our space for a short time. Besides, it takes time for a flower to bloom and then when it does, it doesn’t stay around very long.

This thought led me to other examples of this in our lives. What about those times when you take a bite of something and it tastes so good that you eat the last few bites slowly and even cut a normal sized piece in half so you can enjoy yet one more bite. How about the times when a child is at a carnival or park – “can’t I have just one more ride or push on the swing?” And we’ve all experienced times that we didn’t want to end – having dinner and lingering at the table, having another cup of coffee so the time wouldn’t end so quickly.

I truly believe that we value things because we know they aren’t going to last. That fact makes them more special and more memorable. They come with only a short span of time for us to enjoy them. Then the epiphany came.

 Isn’t that why people are so precious to us?