It’s no secret that the world is full of smells. Some naturally occurring, some our creation. Sometimes they are overpowering, others are more subtle, and others are hidden in plain sight — just out of range.

My wife has a little plant on a small shelf near a window in front of our yoga mat. The shelf is only 10 inches high, and the plant grows slightly less than that from its pot. I’m unsure of the type, but it only blooms in a single bunch on rare occasions.

It is a beautiful thing, but I’ve never paused to do anything more than look at it for brief moments.

The other morning while doing yoga, I caught a powerful scent. It was so intoxicating, it caught me off guard and I broke form to find the source.

The small, white flowers were in bloom just a few feet away from my face.

I paused, lying on the floor, and stared through the dim light of pre-dawn as I marvelled at the stunning smell that hovered around me.

Once again on my feet, the smell was gone. Its reach was only so far.

It was there again the following morning, though less potent.

Today, although the flowers still bloom, their scent is no more.

I wonder how often this is the case in day-to-day life. How many flowers have just bloomed, releasing their magic just as you pass by, but are just out of your sensory range? You’ll never know what you might have missed.

I suppose this has become an unintended metaphor for life experience in general…

…I was just excited about a flower.