This year has been a tumultuous one, for sure. Moments of strength paired with moments of weakness, laughter, tears, frustrations, exhilarations – all that nitty gritty stuff that life is made out of, the stuff that exposes the best and the worst of each of us in a raw, visceral sort of way. I try not to regret my past decisions; after all, regrets are only mistakes we don’t learn from, and I like to think that I became a better person for each misstep I took along the way. But now, in the home-stretch of my most recent challenge, with the light in clear view at the end of the tunnel, I am grateful—perhaps more than ever before—for the good things in my life.
Take this weekend for example. Beer and merriment; time spent with dear friends; sleeping late; good, healthy, hearty food; an early Sunday morning football game; running errands; and long moments with a man that I adore. All good things. All things that I try very hard not to take for granted. In those little moments in time filled with giggles and joking and silliness and dreams, life can be an infinite venue of joy, if only in short, brilliant bursts.
Someone once said that “happiness is not grand.” I disagree. Happiness is only *not* grand if you let those countless moments slip by you unnoticed and unappreciated. I’ve known a few people who were so focused on the future they let the present rush by with hardly a slide long glance. Heck, I used to BE one of those people; full of “what ifs” and “if onlys” and “somedays.” But life is teaching me—a hard lesson to be sure—that happiness is meant to be found in the today, and not to be anticipated in the tomorrow. Sure, someday you might be rewarded with that raise or have gotten out of debt or found that mate or achieved that goal. And that’s all great. But if you can’t find the happiness in a warm cup of coffee, a stimulating conversation, or an exceptional sunset, then you’re not really living. Just…waiting.
I hope everyone will take a moment this Thanksgiving and think about the things in life that make them happy. For all it's hokeyness and commercialism, taking a moment to be thankful is an exercise in gratitude. Appreciation for the little things is never mundane. In my mind, it’s as grand as it gets.
Take this weekend for example. Beer and merriment; time spent with dear friends; sleeping late; good, healthy, hearty food; an early Sunday morning football game; running errands; and long moments with a man that I adore. All good things. All things that I try very hard not to take for granted. In those little moments in time filled with giggles and joking and silliness and dreams, life can be an infinite venue of joy, if only in short, brilliant bursts.
Someone once said that “happiness is not grand.” I disagree. Happiness is only *not* grand if you let those countless moments slip by you unnoticed and unappreciated. I’ve known a few people who were so focused on the future they let the present rush by with hardly a slide long glance. Heck, I used to BE one of those people; full of “what ifs” and “if onlys” and “somedays.” But life is teaching me—a hard lesson to be sure—that happiness is meant to be found in the today, and not to be anticipated in the tomorrow. Sure, someday you might be rewarded with that raise or have gotten out of debt or found that mate or achieved that goal. And that’s all great. But if you can’t find the happiness in a warm cup of coffee, a stimulating conversation, or an exceptional sunset, then you’re not really living. Just…waiting.
I hope everyone will take a moment this Thanksgiving and think about the things in life that make them happy. For all it's hokeyness and commercialism, taking a moment to be thankful is an exercise in gratitude. Appreciation for the little things is never mundane. In my mind, it’s as grand as it gets.
No comments:
Post a Comment