The little (and not-so-little) things

November 14, 2020

Reflection: What are the little things that bring me comfort and joy?

Today I am grateful for...time.

Challenge: Give yourself the 5 minutes.

Today, I’m grateful for the little things — a good night's sleep, a warm cup of coffee, the way my fireplace warms my back when I sit near it—which then leads me to think of the bigger things —my health, my family’s health, freedom and love. It seems so obvious to appreciate these things, but then why is it such a conscious effort? Look around — name 10 things that bring you comfort or joy. That wasn’t so hard, was it? Just because it’s conscious doesn’t mean it has to be difficult. This is a new tactic I’ve been using to kickstart my practice of gratitude. I ask myself to look around....what do I see? What do I smell? What do I taste? What do I hear? The crisp, freshness of the air. The birds chirping undisturbed outside. A peaceful, sleeping baby. These are things that go unnoticed. After the ebbs are done ebbing, these are the flows that seem to pass us by without us even noticing. These...THESE are the moments that we wish for when we’re one-more-plateful-of-food-flung-onto-the-floor away from losing our shit.

So what is it that keeps us from cultivating this peace in our lives?....TIME. How dare we spend 5 minutes thanking the universe for all of our blessings? We couldn’t possibly afford ourselves the luxury of that much time! Are you nuts?!! It sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? BUT you know it’s true. I know it’s true. As we live our lives on the autobahn of parenting, working, cleaning, home improvement, I-can’t-forget-to-print-that-return-label, which reminds me, do we need gas in the car? I’ll grab some on my way home from dropping off the kids at daycare. Shoot, did I order diapers for them? I forgot to spray down the stained shirt they sent home yesterday too. Speaking of laundry, I need to switch loads before the washer gets stinky. And I can’t forget to pack a coat and hat for him tomorrow either...It might be chilly. What are we gonna have for dinner tonight? Shit, your mom’s birthday’s coming up!.....stressed out yet?...The mental workload is SO real. 

Let’s just all take a moment to share in a collective deep-fucking-breath.

[IN-2-3-4-5, and OUT-2-3-4-5].

Ahhhh. Ok, I feel a little better. But for real. Parents (moms in particular) are the real MVPs. Ya’ll are out there hustling in more ways that can even be put into words. Guys, this is just a little glimpse into the shit-storm that is your wife’s mind. And that’s hardly an excerpt from the chapter "On my drive to work” in our personal biographies titled “The mayhem of my mind”. We don’t even bother to use words to describe this type of work because the words don’t exist. We just do the damn things because we know it needs done, and we need it done quick. This endless mental workload exists in our heads and that’s where it lives until each task is accomplished and the thought can be defenestrated to make room for more shit. 

Sounds exhausting, huh? That’s because it is. Which is why it makes it even more important that we allow ourselves 5 minutes to breath. To smell the air. To taste that morsel of banana bread. To listen. To really listen. To feel our heart beats. To touch our walls and consider the safety our home brings. To hold our toes and feel them wiggle. (Just do it. It's cool.)  So many things to be grateful for, right in front of our noses. So my challenge to you? Give yourself the 5 minutes at least once today...you deserve it!

XO

SS

P.S. I've always loved this comic's interpretation of the mental workload.