In this world of instant gratification, we sometimes forget to savor the simple things in life. One of my favorite memories is of my best friend and me splashing in the pool on a sweltering afternoon. Our kids were someplace else and we had a few minutes to ourselves. I recall the blue, blue sky, and the two of us, laughing for sheer joy as we dog paddled and cooled off. That friend later died a sad and early death (cancer). But I’ll always cherish that time together and that lovely memory. Lesson learned: joy is all around us if only we open our eyes to it. Every day I try to appreciate and draw joy from the simple things. (I purposely use the word “try” because sometimes it takes effort to appreciate the simple stuff.) Here are some of the simple pleasures that recently made me smile: a warm, sunny afternoon, birds waking me up in the morning, the feel of the grass between my toes, an ice cream sundae at the local ice cream store, my year-old grandson’s smile, a sweet, juicy apricot, the lush flower garden outside the bedroom window, talking to my mother on the phone. Sharing this with you, I am smiling.
What are your simple pleasures?
3 comments:
Yesterday, my mom and I took the three little ones on a day trip. We got out of the car in Coloma, a little gold rush mining era town, and my five year old son and three year old daughter walked down the path holding hands. I got that warm swell in the chest that makes you want to smile and cry at the same time because the scene was so cute and sweet.
It's hard to savor the small stuff because we often miss it.
Sometimes we breeze through our days not bothering to notice the simple things we take for granted. I try to make a conscious effort to notice the things around me, not just the flowers in the garden or a bright sunny day, but the times when I'm breething freely and not plagued by allergies, when my body moves without aches or pains, when my dog Indio (whose been through 4 surgeries at the age of 2) is running around the yard feeling like he's king of the world. My best friend Jimmy passed away 3 years ago after a brief but vicious bout with cancer, and what I treasure most about my time with him are the small things, like walking along the Intracoastal, talking and laughing about nothing in particular. I lost my beloved Malamute Max shortly after Jimmy, and I vowed to pay attentin to everything that Indio does so that I don't miss it. It doesn't mean you have to stop what you're doing to notice these things, only that you are aware and attentive. I truly believe it's not our major accomplishments in life that define us, but the small, every day things that make us who we are. Being unaware of these simple things can make us lose sight of ourselves.
I think that generally, nature gives me those feeelings. I'll be driving along and suddenly the leaden sky and dusty-green trees strike me as so beautiful. Or I'll see a flock of birds swooping and spiraling over a field. And just yesterday, I bent over to give my dog a scratch and she put her paw over my shoulder in a hug.
Post a Comment