A baby's laugh, things said that warm my heart, watching a beautiful sunset, smelling the air after it rains / or a lawn after it has been mowed, appreciating flowers, seeing crops poking up from the ground.
All of these things make me smile and give me a happy feeling.
It takes effort to "stop and smell the roses." But it also makes me feel grateful when I slow down enough to appreciate (and even see) the little things.
I used to be too busy to appreciate something little. The big things (submitting an important report, attending my child's event, serving valiantly in my calling at church) only had the value needed to get crossed off my list, but making my bed wasn't a big thing - it was a little thing among the thousands of other little things on my to-do list. The little things didn't get acknowledgement - I just did them. Today, the little things in my life have become the big things.
Before getting sick, I didn't slow down enough to see certain people. I saw them but they weren't my friend and that was that. After getting sick I felt shocked that they and so many people were nice to me. I thought they would judge me but they didn't. I had the attitude of being better than them and after I got sick it was hard for me to consider us alike. I wanted to be more than them but my disease made us the same.
My illness made me slow down and see the things around me. It gave me the opportunity to appreciate the things I didn't. It's been almost four years since I got sick. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to see people and the beauty in the world. I shudder to think where our lives (me and my family) would be if I hadn't gotten sick.
The other day I stepped down a step while holding a friend's arm. I said "Yaaaay!" That small thing would have made me cry in years past because I would have been disappointed to find joy in something so small. I didn't cry and that simple act made both me and my friend smile with gratitude.
I feel happy that I can appreciate the things in life that are all around me. It's true that they are usually free. Most of the things I enjoy don't cost anything to see, hear, smell, or touch. I feel grateful that I can appreciate those things even though to me they were once considered small.
All of these things make me smile and give me a happy feeling.
It takes effort to "stop and smell the roses." But it also makes me feel grateful when I slow down enough to appreciate (and even see) the little things.
I used to be too busy to appreciate something little. The big things (submitting an important report, attending my child's event, serving valiantly in my calling at church) only had the value needed to get crossed off my list, but making my bed wasn't a big thing - it was a little thing among the thousands of other little things on my to-do list. The little things didn't get acknowledgement - I just did them. Today, the little things in my life have become the big things.
Before getting sick, I didn't slow down enough to see certain people. I saw them but they weren't my friend and that was that. After getting sick I felt shocked that they and so many people were nice to me. I thought they would judge me but they didn't. I had the attitude of being better than them and after I got sick it was hard for me to consider us alike. I wanted to be more than them but my disease made us the same.
My illness made me slow down and see the things around me. It gave me the opportunity to appreciate the things I didn't. It's been almost four years since I got sick. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to see people and the beauty in the world. I shudder to think where our lives (me and my family) would be if I hadn't gotten sick.
The other day I stepped down a step while holding a friend's arm. I said "Yaaaay!" That small thing would have made me cry in years past because I would have been disappointed to find joy in something so small. I didn't cry and that simple act made both me and my friend smile with gratitude.
I feel happy that I can appreciate the things in life that are all around me. It's true that they are usually free. Most of the things I enjoy don't cost anything to see, hear, smell, or touch. I feel grateful that I can appreciate those things even though to me they were once considered small.
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