The Sneetches Who Couldn't Stop to See

Welcome Back to The Noticing Stone Blog!

Hello, dear readers! Welcome back to our little corner of reflection and awareness. Today, I want to share a playful tale about the power of simply noticing—told in a way that might remind you of a certain beloved children's author who knew that the simplest truths often come wrapped in the most delightful packages.

The Sneetches Who Couldn't Stop to See

In the land of Hustle-Bustle-Ville, where the Sneetches all dwelled,

They rushed and they dashed and they hurried pell-mell.

With phones in their hands and their minds far away,

They missed all the wonders that happened each day.

There was Sneetch-a-ma-Jig who ran fast as could be,

And Sneetch-a-ma-Jag who climbed every tree.

But neither one noticed the sky turning blue,

Or the smell of fresh flowers with morning's sweet dew.

Then along came a Sneetch with a very strange name—

Young Mindful McNotice (quite odd, but not lame).

She walked rather slowly, she breathed rather deep,

And noticed small things that made others just weep.

"Stop rushing!" she called to the Sneetches who ran.

"There's magic around you! Please notice if you can!"

She showed them the clouds that looked just like a hat,

And the way that the sunlight made shadows so fat.

The Sneetches slowed down and began to take note

Of the song that the wind and the leaves together wrote.

They breathed in and out and they felt their hearts beat,

And suddenly life became terribly sweet.

Now in Hustle-Bustle-Ville, things are quite changed—

The Sneetches take moments, their pace rearranged.

They notice, they breathe, they are present each day,

And have found that this mindful-ness sweeps stress away.

The Science Behind the Story.

While Dr. Seuss never wrote about mindfulness research, the wisdom in our tale is backed by solid science. Studies consistently show that mindfulness practices reduce cortisol (stress hormone) levels, improve emotional regulation, and enhance overall well-being. Harvard neuroscientist Sara Lazar's research demonstrates that just eight weeks of mindfulness practice can literally change brain structure, increasing gray matter in areas associated with learning and memory.

For those interested in diving deeper, I recommend "The Mindful Way Through Depression" by Williams, Teasdale, Segal, and Kabat-Zinn, and exploring the research database at mindfulnessinschools.org.

Remember, like our Sneetch friends discovered, the magic is always there—we just need to slow down enough to notice it.

Until next time, keep noticing the extraordinary in the ordinary.