Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Alarms: wake you up

Naps are a terrible cycle to get into, but I must say that I had a glorious 40 minute nap today. . . hence the reason I am awake now.

A cell phone was ringing, but it wasn't mine. . . and I wasn't quite sure where it was coming from. I stood in the back of the gymnasium up against the cold brick wall and looked for the owner. Hundreds of students were filing in and taking their seats, soon the Religion in Life devotional would start and a silence would blanket the room.

I stood in the back because I needed to leave early- I wanted to slip out with ease and simplicity.

The phone was still ringing and I found it quite odd that no one had turned it off yet. The student conducting the program had stood to welcome the crowds and to introduce the speaker - the ringing continued. By this point other students had heard the chimes of the obnoxious jingle and where looking to me to relieve them of the sound. . . 

I looked down.

Next to my feet was an abandoned coat and back pack. I bent down and leaned closer to the deserted articles and sure enough the sound grew louder. I scanned my surroundings for the owner, but I was alone.

What was I supposed to do?

I found the pocket that held the cellular device and squeezed the shape of the phone hoping to turn it off, and it worked. . . or so I thought.

I stood up to listen to the speaker and not even a minute had passed when the alarm went off again. I repeated the "pocket-squeeze" and again the ringing ended. I stood to listen. And then again not even a minute had passed with the alarm went off for a third time. The students on the back row looked back at me with looks of confusion. I smiled confused and returned my attention to the coat. . . I snoozed it again for the third time, but this time I knew I needed to dismiss the alarm.

Again I scanned the area for the owner of the coat - of the cell phone, but no one acknowledged me.

I reached into the pocket and for a moment felt like I was invading someone's privacy. I probably looked pretty sketchy as well considering the fact that I kept looking back and forth for anyone who would come running to turn off their phone. . . still no one.

The phone was small. I am not sure the make or model, but it looked like an old touch screen model, maybe a Motorola. I started flipping through screens looking for the alarm files.

By this point I felt like a complete creeper-thief-snoop-evil person who was searching for juicy details that will lead me to discover this person's hidden past. . . Yep, I was feeling uncomfortable to say the least. 

Alarms! found it.

There wasn't just one alarm either- the phone had nearly twelve different alarms set. I started to scroll down to find the disturbance responsible. As I scrolled though I couldn't help but read the titles of all the other alarms on the phone.


"Sings songs of happiness"

"Be grateful. Today is a beautiful day!"

"Run- because it will make you feel good"

"Smile because there is so much to smile about"


What kind of alarms were these?

I turned off the alarm setting. Put the phone back in the pocket and placed the coat back on the ground. Just the way I had found it. 

Returning to my previous position up agains the brick wall I tried to focus in on the speaker. But I couldn't. My mind was going wild about the phone with the weird alarms. 

Or were they weird?

Each day we live is beautiful, marvelous, wonderful and great. I know that I have been blessed with so much and I feel guilty about announcing this, but there are days that I can't help but complain, there are days where I just go through the motions of life and days that I don't recognize as significant at all. . . and how foolish am I for being so insensitive. 

The phone with the alarms was not mine. I don't know who owns it or why they set alarms that would remind them to cherish each day and to live with a heart full of gratitude. I do know that its ring changed my life though.

Each day is beautiful. 
Each day there are wondrous things to be discovered.
Each day there is something to smile about.

And sometimes we just need to be reminded.

Don't forget how great life is - because it is marvelous.


1 comment:

kellie. said...

Kels- I love this so much. Kinda makes me want to change my 12 alarms (yes, I have 12) to remind me to be happy always. Thanks for the post. Loved it. :)