15 Simple Pleasures… It’s the Little Things15 Simple Pleasures… It’s the Little Things

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With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I found myself inspired of course to talk about gratitude… but with a slightly different spin on it.

One of the most profound lessons I’ve received from my child with Autism came from watching him stay in the now. There’s a huge part of me that honestly believes our children coming forth today with a cornucopia of learning disabilities are really “upgraded” versions of us… neurologically evolved. Like a mini-me 2.0 :)

They are programmed with an inner GPS that keeps them in alignment with who they are and what makes them happy. They don’t seem to be affected by the same time constraints, worries, anxieties about the future, and limiting beliefs that keep me stuck in my head. Watching my son be totally absorbed in the tiniest thing that amuses him really inspires me to take a step back and appreciate the moment. After all, the now is really all we have! The past is in our minds and the future is merely projected outcomes that may or may not ever occur.

So here’s my list of 15 silly things that bring me joy. What are yours?

  1. Getting to lick the cake or brownie batter when the kids aren’t looking
  2. The first sip of my morning coffee on the days that the cream-to-sweetener ratio is just right
  3. When the dog trots playfully beside me during walks instead of pulling
  4. The smell of a wood stove burning in the neighborhood when it first starts getting cold
  5. The silence surrounding the first snow
  6. Catching my children spontaneously playing together
  7. The peace of 5 am, before the rest of the world wakes up
  8. When conversation with someone flows effortlessly
  9. When scented candles actually smell like their label claims while burning
  10. The elegant dinner dish that took 20 minutes to prepare but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen
  11. The look on someone’s face when they first taste said dinner dish :)
  12. When the last grape or strawberry you eat is the sweetest one
  13. Reaching in your pocket and finding unexpected money
  14. Going to dial an old friend and the phone rings at the same time… guess who!
  15. Laughing endlessly over something so silly you don’t know why it was funny in the first place

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