Small Pleasures

Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

This little quote from H. Jackson Brown, Jr. is an amazing bit of advice. We all need to occasionally look around us and just appreciate the little things that are often overlooked. Sometimes we become immune to everyday pleasures because our lives now are "giant-sized". Everything from our morning coffee to our toothpaste is touted to be bigger, better or more powerful. Nothing is touted to be small, mundane or passive. I have to say that here on the Bayou, I find a lot of pleasure in small things...the things that go unnoticed in the hurly-burly world in which we live. This morning, I awoke to the sound of birds singing. I laid there listening for a good twenty minutes as I tried to count just how many different birds were trying to wake me. They wanted their birdseed! I usually fill the feeders at about daybreak, but this morning, I was lazy! I was nearly a half-hour late and my birds decided it was high time for me to be up and at 'em. Their songs were the most beautiful that I have ever heard and well, this morning, they were all for me! (At least, I thought so!) Later in the day, I stained the back deck. This would not have been a most enjoyable job had it not been for a lone mockingbird that serenaded me for the entire time I worked. He would perch himself on a post that was within a few feet of where I painted and sing. Then a worm or bug would catch his eye and he would dart to the ground, snatch a bite to eat and fly back to the post to sing again. A small bird brought happiness just by doing what came naturally to him. He sang! He was happy, thus hearing him made me happy. A small pleasure to be relished.

Beside the deck, there is a sapling pear tree. It was here that I first spied the tiny yellow, polka-dot Ladybug. The tiny bug was like a little bit of sunshine skittering along the stems. Another smile! I reached out and my little friend had no qualms about running about on my hand! After making several rounds about the fingers, off to the arbor flew my little sunshiny friend. This was about one of the smallest things to bring huge pleasure that I have seen in a while. A tiny little creature bringing great big smiles!

While we are looking for small things that bring pleasure..we can't overlook some large things that bring happiness into our lives. As frustrating as she can be at times, Ezzy, the dog, can be about as smile-inducing as they come. Today, though, was one of those "oh, no you don't" days with her. If there was anything that she could possibly do that was aggravating, she found it today. But then..we all have our bad days..and just about the time I was ready to pull my hair out because of her behavior, she made me smile. Perhaps Ez, has these days to make me appreciate her "good" days!

So, in our busy, busy days of dreaming big..striving to achieve great things..lets not forget to relish a few little pleasures. Take a deep breath..smell the jasmine on the arbor..have a cup of tea while sitting on the refurbished deck..listen to the mockingbird tell you just how wonderful the day is..and thank the Good Lord for all the things that we often overlook.