2:10am

  like most people, i never really express appreciation for the simple things that enrich my life.  they are small things, simple things, things that are rarely paid attention to.  they are things that are taken for granted and then put aside for later use.  that's the whole problem with modern life, really.  it's the same thing. many of us take the small things for granted, often to the point where it leaks over in to our relationships with people.  we assume that these people will always be there, and that they will always be around to help us through our various trials in life. our often very ridiculous, insignificant trials.

  it's been a difficult season, for many reasons. i'm not in a sour mood -- not truly -- but i cannot lie. things have been tough. i keep thinking how low i feel, and take all the positive things happening in my life for granted.  i push them aside. it'd ridiculous, really. i see it in other people too, so i know it's not just me.  it's a symptom of something larger, perhaps of modern society as a whole. who knows?

but no matter how difficult things get, there are always a number of things that make me truly happy. me, and you, and everyone else. we just need to appreciate them, instead of casting them aside until the moment we need them. as for me, it's those rare and fleeting moments of quiet peace, of a gentle and soundless kind of happiness, that enable me to keep functioning.  it's appreciation that keeps me strong.

 so, as a reminder to myself -- and maybe you too? -- here are some nice and simple things that make me smile. i hope some of these things make you smile, too. and if not, well, please take a moment to think about what small things enrich your life.  it's quite lovely to realize how lucky we all are, even down to the smallest and most seemingly insignificant of ways.

happy

candles.christmas lights. blue glass bottles. kittens. babies with big eyes. a good southern rain storm. old dogs. purple velvet. the smell of pancakes on the griddle. bird songs. freshly fallen snow. embers. your hand in mine. love. hope. confidence. acceptance. the smile of the dalali lama in his photos. having faith that it will all be okay.  hugging a friend after a long time apart. the quiet of 3 in the morning. the shadows of flickering flames on walls. monkey noises.  dolphins. the universe. prairie winds.  the winter moon. the summer sun.

as a side note: i didn't really intend to disregard upper case & lower case letters in this posting.  i actually rather loathe that sort of pretentious letter play that is so common in bad modern prose. it's definitely not my intent here.  any way, i just started writing and ended up not hiting the caps lock key once.  so, here it is.  not intentional, but it's not getting fixed, either. what the hell, i might as well break a few grammatical rules.  i already slaughter them by the bucketful as it is.