You'd think it'd be the opposite, considering the fact that kids are experts on enjoying the little things in life...but somehow, as I've grown up, I've found that it doesn't take much to make me happy.
Today I was driving back to school after a nice weekend spent at home, and I was so happy. I was happy to be on Highway 99, I was happy to have enjoyed my weekend, I was happy with the weather...in essence, I was happy with everything.
Always inquisitive, I tried to put my finger on why I was so happy...and I couldn't think of a reason.
Highway 99 is probably nothing special to most people, but to me it is a beautiful road that connects my two homes. Its lovely farm scenery inspires my thinking and boosts my spirit, and it further solidifies my desire to live somewhere outside of the city.
My weekend was also nothing spectacular - I spent most of it with family, which is always a joy for me. I spent Saturday in Portland with my mom to watch my brother's cross country race, which also crossed my path with my grandma, uncle, and ex-boyfriend's parents (I love his mom dearly). I spent today at church, doing homework, doing laundry, watching football with my brother, and catching up with my sister.
The weather this weekend was my favorite kind - cold and sunny. It's the kind of weather that encourages people to wear boots, jackets, scarves, and hats...my favorite kinds of clothes. I love that my favorite clothes and favorite season go hand in hand...and I love that I rocked my new boots this weekend. Icing on the cake, definitely.
If you look at the things that made me happy on that short 45-minute drive back to school, you can see that there wasn't anything major there that should have made me grin ear-to-ear like I did. Nothing out of the ordinary or especially fantastic...it was just the little things.
And that's what it takes to make me happy.
If you think about it, our lives are made up of little things - even the big moments aren't really that big, because they too can be broken up into something much smaller.
A big, happy moment for my family and I this summer was my uncle's wedding. That in and of itself was huge, but break it down and you can see that we were happy because of all the details...yes, he got married, and we were so happy for him and his wife.
But what's more, we were together. We were at the beach. We were celebrating love. We were bringing families together. We were relaxing. We were in the sunshine. We were eating at Pinkberry for the first time. We were taking walks. We were sleeping in. We were cooking. We were all under the same roof. We were sitting on the balcony, taking in the mornings slowly. We were laughing.
It's really all about the little things...and I'm glad I have that figured out. Because now I've realized that even if the big picture isn't turning out exactly how I want it to, that's okay, because the little things along the way are what matter.
Add in the fact that I know I will end up exactly where I need to be, and I can rest easy and really appreciate the fact that the little things are my life...and I love my life.
♥ abigail
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