Appreciate the Little Things

Lately, I find myself thinking about World War II, the Great Depression, and the 1918 Flu Pandemic. I think about ordinary people trying to live their everyday lives during extraordinary times. I think about adults going to work and children going to school. I think about them going home at the end of the day, their conversations at the dinner table, and what they did afterward in the evening. How did they go through each day not knowing when the difficult times would end?

Like those before us, we're living with a lot of uncertainty right now. Life is not business as usual. There are a lot of things we can't do, things that we take for granted during normal times. It's not easy, but rather than dwell on the "can'ts," let's focus on the "cans."

Start with your home. You can make it into a comfy-cozy place you want to spend time in by keeping it clean and tidy. Light candles and read some books (no bias there). Watch movies and play retro board games. Why not even put on music and dance along? Music soothes the savage beast and exercise increases endorphins, the hormones that make you happy.

Speaking about exercise, get out of the house and take a walk or bike ride in your neighborhood. Really pay attention to the flowers in your neighbor's yard. If the flowers are near the sidewalk, stop and smell them. I can honestly say that I've never enjoyed my home or neighborhood as much as I have this year. Even just being outside, whether on your deck or in your backyard, will lift your spirits. 

To paraphrase the famous saying, appreciate all those little things because they really are the big things. Be grateful for the things you have. And like those other trying periods in history, this period will also end. We just don't know when. In the meantime, let's go forward one day at a time and know we're all in this together.

Gratefully yours from the perch.