Things That Give You pause...smiles..tears...

Simple things, like this morning when my 2 year old told me he could "see the birds singing with my ears" (meaning he could hear them!)
Watching my flowers bloom.
Having laundry all caught up.
Clean sheets on my bed.
Watching my babies sleep.
Dentist appts with no cavities.

No offense to your friend, but I hate when people do that. Everyone has problems. Yes, some people's problems are extremely worse than others, but just because someone has it worse than someone else, doesn't mean that you can't ever complain about anything. Bottling up everything leads to more problems. Sometimes you just have to vent and while your problems may seem petty to others, I guarantee you there is someone who can sympathize with your situation. If it annoys you, distance yourself from that person. There are people who complain about everything and there are people who really need some encouragement. Someone is always going to have it worse than you and someone will always have it better than you.

I read the article about the women being found last night. That is amazing! There was an interview of the guy who rescued Amanda Berry and called 911. He was quite the character and was in the right place at the right time. Lots of therapy for these women and their families I'm sure. But at least now they are safe.

I just got my last garden bed weeded.
It rained last night and the air (pollen washed out) and garden seem crisp, clean and just so GOOD.
My muscles don't hurt too much from all the work, but it's a good ache.
I love it when a garden comes together!

Simple things that make me smile...
- hearing my children laugh together
- glass of wine by the pool with my mom
- watching t.v. at night with my husband

I often find that in working with special needs families that I lose perspective on what is "typical". I work with children and families who do not know what "normal" is and I often find myself thankful at the end of the day to come home to my little negotiator and my feisty little peanut. There are days when I would love to take an hour run by myself, but when those little faces ask if we can take the stroller and go together... well, that is my perspective. My children are healthy. My children are verbal. My children are social and are capable of learning.

I am sorry that your friend lost his battle with cancer, but keep in mind that every person has a different threshold for pain and suffering. His strength (and his ability to inhibit his FB postings) is admirable, but minimizing others is not.

I'm so sorry about your friend, W. W., but love his post.

Here is a simple thing that made me smile:

I was taking a bath last week, and my 9 year old son called to me from the other side of the door, "Mom, I found the perfect strawberry in our garden!"

I asked him if he picked it, and he said, "Yes, I picked it and washed it."

I asked, "Well, did you eat?"

He said, "No, I'm saving it for you to have after your bath. It's really absolutely perfect."

And it was.

I completely forgot all of the worries of the day when he smiled at me and gave me that strawberry. He was so excited to share that bit of nature with me. It was a lovely moment.

It is definitely the simple things in life that make me smile, or better yet, laugh. For me, the ability to laugh a lot is my biggest gift in life. And it's amazing what a beautiful, warm sunny day can do.

Other people's stories give me perspective, like that of your friend. That being said, we should be allowed to BRIEFLY wallow in our misery, because, after all, our feelings are our feelings.

In the story about the three women, it is sad to hear that the mother of one of them died in 2006, probably related to the loss of her daughter, and will never get to rejoice in seeing her daughter again.

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.

the spring weather makes M. smile=)
rolling down the hill with emmy as she giggles and rolls right on top of M. makes M. insanely happy
last night we rolled down the hill, plated baseball in the yard and roasted smores...this weather makes for better quality time with her and greta memories=)

Racing down the driveway to the bus stop and thumb wrestling while we wait makes M. incredibly happy so does watching her get on the bus, sit at the wondow and give M. a wink or mouth i love you back to M. when i say it. I love how when I pick her up from aftercare she runs into my arms and I spin her around in circles most days. I am definitely cherishing this year realizing 2nd grade Emmy may not be as outwardly loving with M. as this adorable 1st grade Emmy I get to drink in right now!

When she comes into my bed in the middle of the night I am no longer complaining in my head instead i am enjoying the fact she is still so little because 1st grade and bits of her slowly changing into a big girl and caring about others oppinions has made M. realize it is going to change way too quick and to not waste any of it away!

I felt horrible for that one girl. her mom died while she was held captive. did you read the transcript from the 911 call that operator sounded insanely stupid! I J. read it and didnt listen though

Unfortunately, people who compare the common cold to a near death experience have no perspective...lucky then!

We are moving this summer (military) and my 5 year old is having open heart surgery (5 weeks after move). I know people who have it a lot worse, so I look at the positive--we have great medical insurance, hubby has a great job, we found a renter for our house, we found a beautiful new home, and I don't have to work (which really makes life less complicated!).

LOVED the story about the three girls. I saw it on the news last night:) Really warmed my heart...the guy who found them is a real character:)

First, I'm sorry for your loss. We lost my aunt to a complication from her bone marrow transplant last Father's Day. She was a lot like your friend. Never complained and always smiled. She had one of the biggest hearts...

And yes... I love the simple things. I just couldn't help but smile this morning as I stepped out of the car (When I got to work). For the first time this year it smells like spring! Just a couple of weeks ago was the first time it got over 50 (In fact, it was even 70 degrees one day!) and then it got cold again. Yesterday it was in the 70s, and this morning it smelled like spring! I hear it's supposed to get cold again but for the moment I'm just enjoying that indescribable smell :)

Then when I got inside the house of the family that I work for, the mother showed me a "twin banana" (Two bananas that grew together into one very large banana). Apparently their 5 year old found it at the store and went around showing everybody she walked past this huge banana... It really is the simple things :)

There are so many things. Yes, most of them simple. My son, who has been fighting off some sort of cold for a few days (and hasn't been able to get in for his allergy shots on time b/c the doc is on vacation, so those are flaring too) dragged himself out of bed this morning not feeling well. But he showered, got dressed and as I drove the kids to school this morning, they were joking with me and each other. His younger sister has his former homeroom teacher and SS teacher this year... and my son was very dramatically mocking his voice "Allison, would you please stop talking." And then she is getting all animated saying that she is not ever talking when he calls her out for it...all the people around her, or the kid in front is turned looking at something on the wall or something (whatever, right?)... And they are about to have each other in tears laughing.

Then, while we drive along (20 miles on the interstate) we cross over one of many bridges and we look out over the marsh as the sun is starting to glow and reflect off the water and it is just beautiful.

Or, getting ready this morning, I discovered my daughter had put on eye makeup for the first time (shocking!). And I recall myself at her age, and how life is a big cycle and my mom probably had that some moment 30-odd years ago.

And this is all just in 90 minutes or so this morning.

My kids give me perspective.
Kids... no matter how old or young, can be very wise. If we listen... to them.
Once, I was in a real bitchy grumpy mood. Nothing was going right for me all darn day. Then, my daughter, who is 10 tells me "Mommy, its okay we all have bad days sometimes. Just force a smile on your face and it'll become permanent!" then she hugged me, smiled and skipped away.
Or sometimes she'll just tell me "Chill-ax Mommy.... I love you!" and then she skips away, in a happy mood.
So simple. So easy to do. For kids.
That is something we adults have to remember.
Simplicity, in attitude.

Oh and yes, my daughter, skips. Still.
Just looking at her doing it... it makes one realize that there is always a rainbow somewhere, no matter how bad our day may be.
Just seeing her skipping around... that in itself is refreshing.

It is the simple things in life that make me smile. It's also the simple things that can bring me to tears. There ie always so much going on and everyone fights very different battles. I always have to remind myself that no matter what I am going through, someone is fighting a harder battle then I am.

I have had a crappy past 6 months - some days still harder than others, but I have taken away a few life lessons and I am learning to embrace the little things.

Fair weather
A perfect banana
A hug from my son
Smiles from to and from a stranger
Purring cats and tail wagging dogs

One of my friends had surgery for prostate cancer last week - and that gave me pause - I realized how much I valued him as a person and as my friend of the past 17 years. And I made a point last week to vocalize that - not that he did not know how I felt, but I realized that we say "i love you" "i appreciate you" all to rarely to those who are most important to us.

So another life lesson learned and another way to maintain perspective and, hopefully, make others smile.

Oh, and i love and appreciate you W. W.!

everything has its own perspective. when you're dying, the common cold is mighty small potatoes. but when you're healthy and a miserable cold is sidelining you, why should you have to refrain from a good therapeutic whine to your friends?
there is always something worse to which to compare your own situation. that doesn't invalidate anyone's complaints, so long as they're in some sort of proportion.
i didn't know about the 3 women story. thanks for sharing that!
whenever i'm out of whack, just getting outside and being among the dryads and naiads and nature spirits and faery folk resets me like a charm. the sky over my head, earth under my feet, and a friendly tree murmuring at me are all i ever need to get myself right again.
unfortunately it doesn't last<G>.
:) khairete
S. (who needs to re-set constantly)

I'm so sorry about your friend :(. Things like that always give me some perspective.

It is the simple things that make me smile - my daughter singing (very well I might add :) the wrong words or making them up. My son taking out the garbage without being asked. The sheer excitement from their games/meets.

What's crazy is even when they get hurt or are scared, it now makes me smile because I really appreciate being there with them for these moments. They spend summers with their dad and it really makes me appreciate the things I get to share with them even more than I did before. This also gives me perspective. I realize that this is temporary and makes me appreciate them. yes, I'm human and they drive me crazy and they're teens so its multiplied but then I'll get a hug for absolutely no reason and "I love you mom".