For whatever reason, I’ve become really easy to please lately. I’ve been getting little thrills from extremely small accomplishments.
I’m pretty happy about that, to be honest. It’s not that I think we should necessarily aim low in life, but I do think we should be able to be proud and happy about the little things we do, because really, it’s the little things that happen more often. We can’t be waiting around for big accomplishments to be happy. That could lead to years — even a lifetime — of disappointment. I mean, we can’t all be out there curing AIDS and solving the Arab-Israeli conflict all the time.
The primary event that’s been making me feel good about myself lately – and this has happened every day for over a month, so I really don’t know why it hasn’t got old yet – has to do with my little cereal bowls that I painted. They’re a handy size and shape for cereal, being cereal bowls and all, so we use them quite regularly. And here’s the thing: every single time we put food in one of them and eat out of it, I feel disproportionately proud of myself. Inside my head I’m saying, “Yeah. See that bowl there? The one with food in it? The one with food in it that you are using to nourish yourself? I made that bowl. With my own hands. Yup. Pretty amazing, I know. I’m awesome like that.” I get such a kick out of it!
There have been other moments too. Like the other day at work I got a paper cut, one of the nasty bleedy kinds, and I had a bandaid in my purse. Just like that. Ready. It was great. On a similar note, recently I was able to supply a sniffly fellow-commuter with a tissue from one of those mini tissue packets you can get for your bag. She was gratifyingly grateful. Both of these incidents made me feel all grown-up. I mean, having something ready when you need it – having had the foresight to put something like that in your purse and take it with you before you went out – it’s the definition of being a “together” human being and having your life sorted out, isn’t it?
Full of practical treasures.
Hmm. Maybe not, actually. But it feels that way, and for the moment, that’ll definitely do.
My One Precious Life 