The Little Things

Sometimes I forget about the little things.  The little things that make my life richer.  The little things that make my life easier.  The little things we can sometimes take for granted.  Do you do that also?  Maybe it’s time we sit down and think of the little things that we appreciate but don’t always acknowledge.  Here is a random list of 10 things that may not be all that little, but that I sometimes take for granted.  These are going to be the first ten things that come to mind.  There may be more, and maybe even more important things, but this is my impromptu list:

My husband brings a cup of coffee to me each morning.  No, I don’t like drinking it in bed, but I like to transfer from bed to our lovely living room where in the summer I see all the beauty through the windows, and in the winter, can watch the burning fire in the fireplace.  It is the little thing that makes my morning start on the right foot.

Watching the bird feeder in the winter.  When I first moved here, I wasn’t aware of all the birds in this world.  I enjoy sitting in the warmth of our home in the winter, and watching the birds coming to the bird feeder.  It was always a win when the woodpecker would arrive and I could get a photo.  They are touchy birds and the first sense of movement and they are gone, so I have to be very careful on the other side of the window to slowly bring up the camera for a quick photo–or video.

Walking!  I really took this one for granted until the past few months when an issue with my hip/knee (not sure the cause) has made it extremely difficult to walk.  I am working with doctors, physical therapists, and massage therapists to be able to go back and walk distances that I have taken for granted for so long.

Kitchen appliances  – I am the queen of most appliances.  I love a good, well working appliance.  These include my Kitchenaid mixer, my Breville blender with the smoothie button, a good coffee maker, belgium waffle maker, stick blender, the electric non-stick griddle, and a few less used appliances.  I have a great cabinet that fits these appliances.  Although not used often, I appreciate the them greatly when needed.

Cold water – Years ago I didn’t drink a lot of water.  That changed about 15 years ago.  Yes, I buy bottled water because it is portable, and I can take cold water with me wherever I go.  There is nothing like the taste of ice cold water after working out, or on a hot day.  I very rarely drink any kind of soft drink.  Water has become my beverage of choice with meals, and between meals.

Laughter – we don’t laugh often and hard enough.  Having friends and family that can make me laugh is a true blessing.  Having a husband who can be a real goof ball helps me keep my laughter going.

Books – I don’t buy many “real” books any longer.  They take up room, and I hate to admit, I am starting to have trouble reading the small print in those books.  I do buy my books for my Kindle app on my phone.  I can adjust the lighting and the size of the print.  My favorite kind of books are non-fiction, although I will read fiction also.  Some of my favorite books: Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado, Radium Girls by Kate Moore, On Fire by John O’Leary, Mission at Nuremberg: An American Army Chaplain and the Trial of the Nazis by Tim Townsend, just to name a few that come to the top of my head.  I made a link to each of these books on Amazon in case you want to check out some of my favorites also.

Friends from throughout all my life – I am so blessed to be in contact with friends from throughout my life, people with whom I went to elementary, high school, and college together; friends from church since I was a child; 1st and 2nd cousins who are all around the country.  Many of these folks I reconnected with through Facebook, but over the years, I have been especially conscious of seeing them in person because that is so much better.  My latest new connection is the daughter of my friend who passed away a few years ago.  I found her on Facebook, and we have messaged each other, and I am so happy to know she and her family are doing well.

So, maybe I should say social media – it has connected me with so many people from my life.  I don’t like it for the political and other rantings, I love it for the connection with people whom I have come to care very much about.

Electricity and plumbing – something I truly take for granted, but be without it and think how your day is.  Warmth in the winter, air conditioning in the summer, lights at night, water to drink, cook with, and take showers.  All these are taken for granted, yet our forefathers, did not have these and there are many people all over the world who are without these utilities.

That’s my off the top of my head list.  It just has made me think how truly grateful I am for everything.  What are on your list?  What little or big things do you take for granted, and maybe you should stop for a moment, and just thank God for these things.