Fraulein Maria Was Right!!
Quelle Horreur! There were hundreds of them. A menacing herd of enormous (3 to 4 inches long!) gleaming black Southeastern lubber grasshoppers were loitering with intent right there in front of God and everybody on the marble entrance path leading to my office building. Their lustful gazes seemed to be aimed at the lovely, just-blooming, pink begonias that lined the walkway. I paused (at a safe distance, mind you) to marvel at the beauty of the flowers, apprehensive that they would be chomped to bits by our visitors by the time I returned in the morning. Blossoms gone, even before we really knew they were there.
So far the year 2020 has been like that --- beauty or joy gone before we knew it. Graduations and proms canceled. Long- saved-for trips cancelled. Jobs lost. Loved ones isolated in hospitals or nursing homes. Established businesses failing and closing. We never saw it coming.
At dinner one night, my family was discussing roller coasters, specifically a photo on Facebook of a newly -built coaster with an alarmingly steep drop. As we debated whether we’d be willing to brave such a terrifying ride, it occurred to me that it was highly unlikely --- as in less than a 1% chance --- that I’d ever again ride a roller coaster. I love them, but my ageing neck bones do not --- the thrill is greatly outweighed by the resulting pain. And it really hit me: I was never going to ride a roller coaster ever again… and I could not remember when I last rode one. If I had known at the time that it was the Last Roller Coaster Ride of My Life, would I have paid more attention, recorded it in journal, or otherwise memorialized the occasion? I felt a little depressed at the thought. I mourned the inability to remember that last joyful event, just as my daughter is now mourning the business failure of Sweet Tomatoes Restaurant. Alas, we will never again have Won Ton Chicken Happiness. And our last salad was unremarked, uncelebrated, and unrecorded.
Makes you wonder. Are there other fun/beautiful/happy things that we do not give proper attention to? Ones that just slide by us, unnoticed? I came to the conclusion that there are many, many unremarked little tiny bits of happiness that --- if we just paid attention to them --- would create an atmosphere of joy in our daily lives. I’ve always loved the metaphor that life is one giant bank account. The goal is to make sure you have more deposits than withdrawals. I believe that being aware of and savoring even tiny little events can constitute deposits into our Joy Account. Get enough of them and you can override any negative debits or withdrawals.
Yes, it seems Fraulein Maria was right to catalogue her favorite things so as to bring them to mind in times of fear, lack, or negativity. Noticing and remembering happy things or happy times can add joy to our lives. So I took an informal poll and here are some “favorite things” --- tiny things that inspire feelings of happiness and evoke memories of joyful times and feelings of love.
The aromas of baking bread, coffee, cinnamon rolls, or popcorn.
Hearing birdsong, baby giggles, the music of the ice cream truck coming down your street.
Being handed a grape Sno Cone, or a steaming cup of hot chocolate.
The smell of lighter fluid and charcoal on a summer day.
The smell of wood smoke on a winter day.
The way sunlight glimmers like diamonds on fresh snow or ocean waves.
Puppies.
A smile or a caress of a lover.
A random act of kindness by a stranger.
The feel of Grandma’s quilt, freshly washed sheets, fluffy warm towels.
A whiff of perfume or flowers.
The sound of the ice cream maker whirring away on the back porch.
The joy of having a fresh pastry in a paper sack.
The sound of children playing in the pool or on the beach.
The creak of old trees in the middle of the forest
The gleam of your car after the Saturday morning wash.
The smell of the stadium’s grass as you ascend the bleachers for the game.
Ice-cold water on an August day.
Butterfly gardens.
Old family photos.
Random acts of kindness given and received.
Voices raised in song.
The sound of ocean waves, or a hard rain on a tin roof.
Stained glass windows and candles in a church.
The exhilarated feeling that comes when skiing, sledding, or running for the touchdown.
From now on I want to make sure that I’m not letting any bits of happiness escape from my notice and memory. I want to keep my deposits building up in my Joy Account. I want to enjoy the moment and appreciate things so that, when they’re gone, I have no regrets that I missed them.
What are some of your “favorite things”?
How do you intend to make yourself take note of things you may have heretofore overlooked?
How will you increase the deposits into your Joy Account?