THE NOT SO SMALL THINGS

 

Words and photo by F LoBuono

These are perilous times. Headlines of buildings collapsing, airports closing, and school-aged children gunned down in our streets dominate our daily headlines. And those are just the tip of an iceberg of woe! Even the so-called “Blue Wave” that completely repudiated President Trump’s draconian policies, both foreign and domestic in the recent midterm elections has only provided temporary relief from this seemingly endless torrent of bad news.

To counteract the malaise that comes with it, I do my best to find simple pleasure in the smallest things. Allow me to share just three from today. 

As is my custom, I woke very early this morning. The sun was barely hinting at making its appearance. The temperature had dropped significantly over night, and we were waking up to the coldest day of the season so far. Since it was relatively warm when I went to sleep, I was only wearing shorts and a t-shirt. But now it was downright chilly. Furthermore, only me and the local sanitation workers were awake, so I decided that I could indulge in a few more hours of sleep. But before I slipped back under the covers, I decided to put on some flannel pajama pants Amanda (my partner) had gotten me last Christmas. They felt like a warn caress! The moment I hit the mattress and covered myself with the sheets and comforter, this feeling of overwhelming peace and contentment was so real that I couldn’t help but giggle – literally giggle like a little boy. I wished I could have bottled that feeling for another time. However, I also realized, it would come again – if I let it.

The second moment came when I did finally get my butt up and went downstairs. As I mentioned it was cold, but it had also dawned brilliantly sunny. I immediately opened the curtains to let that glorious sunshine in. Then I went to the thermostat to increase the heat in the house. It’s a good, well-maintained furnace so it wasn’t long before warm, gentle air was flowing through the living room. I stood in the sun for a moment and thought how lucky I was to have a solid roof over my head and instantaneous heat at my fingertips on a cold morning. And if felt good, really good.

The third may have been the simplest of all but also produced the biggest smile. My two cats, Stella and Joe, have separate bowls but eat together. Of course, they’re hungry and waiting, tails leading me all the way to their food. Once the food hits the ground, they have absolutely no interested left in me at all. Their entire concentration is on what’s in those bowls and they attack it with gusto. I step back and I listen. They make these joyous little noises when eating their food. You can tell that they are just enjoying it so much. It’s so simple. At that moment, it’s all that matters. And it makes me smile.

These are the small things that happen over the course of every day – everyone’s day! And they can be easily missed when we take them for granted, especially when we are drowning in a sea of bad news and ugly people. But don’t let that happen. You/we have the power to control what moves us and in what direction. And it begins with appreciating the “small things” which, when you think about it, are in the end, not so small at all.