The "Little Things" in life.

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." ~Cynthia Ozick

<>I was leaving school one fall blissfully day last semester, completely burnt out - I had just finished my fifth class for the day. As I began making my long trek to BFE to get into my warm car I started thinking about all the things I needed to get done and new I couldn’t accomplish half of it that day. Nothing seemed to be going right and all I could focus on was the bad things that had happened to me throughout the year. It was depressing. I finally reached my car, put the key in the ignition and started my car…click click click...was all I heard. My car wouldn’t start. After trying to get it started for 15 minutes I began trekking myself back into the building to call Casey for help (I forgot my phone that day) . About halfway back to the building I felt an urge to go and try to start my car again. Not wanting to listen, but knew I should, I tuned around and started complaining to myself in my head. I didn’t think life could get any worse. Now imagine this…the furthest parking lot from school has two rows of parking spots then a line of trees separating the next two rows of parking spots and this pattern continues about a half a mile wide. As I approached this lot where my car war parked a huge gust of wind came that blew every last leaf off of each of these trees. There were yellow leaves, orange leaves, red leaves and some were even brown. It was like a perfect picture straight out of Winnie the Pooh on his “blissfully cold day” – it really was one of the prettiest things I had seen in a while. All I could do was just stand there and watch the leaves flutter down around me. There were hundreds and hundreds of them leaving the roads covered in an array of beauty. Why did I think that was such an amazing scene? The leaves fall off every tree every fall. But it was right then that I felt an awe-inspiring amount of love and I knew that I needed to pay attention to the little things in life that can bring me joy each day. I felt, it was Heavenly Fathers way of telling me “that everything is going to be all right.”


Since that day, I have made it a habit to always look for the “little things” that I get blessed with each day, that I way to often take for granted.

I want to list a couple of my “little things” that brightened my day last week.

<>1. My mom’s voice. I get to talk to her each and every day. I love the soothing tone her voice carries and the happiness I feel each day as I pick the phone up at work as she asks “how’s it going?”
2. Waking up each morning to a man I know would do anything in the world for me. – He will get out of bed just to go start the truck for me so it will be warm…even if he doesn’t have to be anywhere.
3. My “deer.” There is a pack of deer that cross my path at least three times a week. They are absolutely beautiful. Last week I was on my way home crying – after <>hearing some bad news that finally came as a reality to me and as I drove up a hill towards my house, there they were. The sun was almost completely set and it just left the silhouettes of about nine deer standing on the mountain side with the city lights brightly shining behind them. It was another one of those “thank you Heavenly Father” moments.
4. For my friends that are always there for me – even if I am complaining and especially those that challenge me to grow, learn and be a better person.
5. Back roads
6. The comforting flicker of the fireplace.
7. And Sunsets.