Taking stock of each of our senses

CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON

“It is an extraordinary and beautiful thing that God, in creation ...

works with the beauty of matter; the reality of things; the

discoveries of the senses, all five of them; so that we, in turn, may

hear the grass growing; see a face springing to life in love and

laughter ... the offerings of creation ... our glimpses of truth.”

-- MADELINE L’ENGLE

“I have a cold, which is frustrating and annoying, but what I

don’t like more than sneezing and blowing my nose is all that I’m

missing,” a friend said to me a few weeks ago.

I wasn’t exactly sure what she meant, and she could see my

confusion.

“What I mean is that there is so much I can’t taste or smell, and

I love all the things that I can taste and smell,” she explained. “I

think I take those things for granted, until I don’t have them for a

while. I think I take a lot of things for granted.”

I agreed with her about how easy it is to take things for granted,

and I realized how thankful I am that God gave us five different

senses to enjoy. I don’t always remember to slow down enough to

appreciate each one, but it is always worth the effort when I do.

A few months ago, I was headed to the beach with friends. Before

we went, one of my friends said she loved going to the beach because

she felt all her senses were fully alive there.

We talked about what she meant and I told her that I was going to

pay attention and truly experience my senses that morning.

I could smell the saltwater in the air soon after I stepped onto

the sand. I closed my eyes and it seemed like the salt smell was even

stronger than before, and I also enjoyed the aroma of the coffee I

had in my hand.

I loved the feel of the sand in my toes and the breeze that gently

blew in my face. I walked slowly and relished the sensations even

more.

I sat with friends and savored the taste of a freshly made

chocolate chip cookie along with my coffee. I also loved the feel of

the sun as it graced us each with its warmth that morning.

We all enjoyed the sound of the pounding waves and the birds as

they sang and flew nearby. I looked out at the wide expanse of the

ocean and watched as swells built up before crashing and rushing up

to play on the sand. There were as many shades of blue in the water

as there were in the sky above.

I looked back at my friends and marveled at how unique and special

each one of them is. One of them laughed a laugh that was so

contagious, soon we were all laughing. There are so many wonderful

gifts that God has given us to enjoy in life, gifts that we often

need to stop and focus on to appreciate.

Every once in awhile, we need to slow down long enough to truly

come to our senses.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at

[email protected] or through the mail at 537 Newport Center Drive,

Box 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.