A Beautiful Life: It's the Little Things

My daughter sent me a text that made me laugh out loud. Her color-blind husband had matched a light pink sock with a light gray sock. He thought they were the same. But the point was that she appreciated him folding the laundry. Despite the mismatch. It's the little things that often touch our hearts or make us laugh. Sometimes both.

Photo by Brooke C.

I love it when my husband surprises me. He's good at it. He recently bought me specialty chocolate bars that a new friend recommended. Multiple stores had been out of the product due to their warehouse computers being hacked. So, to ensure I didn't run out, he brought home ten bars. If you know me at all, you know I love good chocolate. I was touched by his thoughtfulness. My taste buds were happy. I felt seen. I felt loved.

Photo by S. Williams

We had a houseful over the 4th of July weekend. It was loud and messy. Every room in our house was full. Giggles rang out over play dough and sand buckets, and happy barks echoed from the dogs as they swam to retrieve balls thrown for them into the water. Kids stomped on dollar store bubbles and laughed when the bubbles landed on their heads. We had wet swimsuits and towels draped over the railings. Shoes were in haphazard piles at every door. Wet footprints, both human and dog, tracked water and sand through the house. They echoed the footprints left on my heart from the precious memories of the weekend.

Wide eyes from both the young and young at heart watched as colors exploded into beautiful shapes in the inky sky. I don't know who had more fun: the guys lighting the fireworks or those who watched. The littles tried heroically to stay awake for the show. Only the oldest managed to do so.

Photo by S. Williams

I recently got together with several childhood girlfriends. We have a tradition of taking a picture of the four of us when we're together. We try to sit in the same order and mimic the same pose. This time, it just made us laugh. Ok, it was me. It made me laugh. But my giggles made them laugh. We stayed up too late talking, picked huckleberries, baked muffins, sat on the dock and by the fire, and shared our hearts with friends who pass no judgment. It was the many little things that made up the beauty of the weekend.

Photo by S. Williams

I love opening the clean dishwasher to find that my spouse has already emptied it. My heart smiles over the gift of an iced mocha on a hot afternoon. Unexpected flowers just because. Take out for dinner after a busy day. A stranger opening the door for me. A sweet note in the mail. Belly laughs from my granddaughter over a silly phrase in a book. A bucket of chuck it balls and three wet golden retrievers. Peek a boo behind the deck chair. A publisher's request for a short story. Discovering a verse that resonates in the moment. A new flag hung on the deck post. A compliment about my book.

Photo by S. Williams

It's the little things that help us get through the messy, complicated times of life. It's the little things that cast a bright spot amidst the shadows of grief. It's the little things that break up monotony and elevate the ordinary. It's the little things that create a beautiful life.

What little things brighten your life? What can you do for someone else to make them smile, to give them a bright spot in the middle of the mundane? Comment here or on social media.