Every so often, it's good to take the time to stop and smell the roses, to count our blessings, to pause and appreciate the wonders surrounding us. Because they do. In the crazy, busy world we live in, sometimes it's easy to forget. We put our blinders on, shift into autopilot and coast. Trouble is, when we're coasting we're not paying attention and we miss out on the little things. And the big things. Things that are important. And simple. And sweet. Things like:
A fresh new bar of soap.
Singing in the shower. A baby shower.
A summer shower. A summer suntan.
Morning coffee on the front porch swing.
"Breakfast at Tiffanys." Breakfast for dinner. Breakfast of champions.
"We are the Champions."
Your son's first steps.
A long walk with an old friend.
Walking the dog. Yo-yos.
A dog's wagging tail. A cat's twitching tail.
Those whirlywig, helicopter maple seeds.
Fluffy clouds moving across a blue sky.
Electricity. Running water.
Home sweet home. Home improvement projects. Coming home for the holidays.
A home run with the bases loaded (unless you are the pitcher).
Your kindergarten daughter's drawing of your family, where no one has hands except the mom.
A dog's wet kisses. A cat's scratchy kisses.
When the dog lies in the grass on her back and kicks her legs in the air.
The smell of lemons. Green apple licorice.
Newly opened potato chips, straight out of the bag.
"You won." "Please." "Thank you."
"No cavities."
A lost tooth. Fairies. The imagination of a child.
The imagination of a parent.
Finding a penny. Finding your lost car keys.
Finding a lost friend on Facebook.
"Finding Nemo." Feeding the fish.
A visit to the zoo.
An afternoon nap.
"Because I'm the mom, that's why."
A deep, cleansing breath.
A tree fort. Water balloon fights. Red rover.
Twinkies. Velveeta. Froot Loops.
Removing a sliver. Popping a pimple.
A vacant space where the laundry pile once sat.
The fourth grade author's tea program at school.
Silly Putty. Silly String. Knock-knock jokes.
Giving a compliment. Seeing someone smile.
Dog nose prints on the window.
Handprints on the wall growing higher and higher.
Muddy boots discarded outside the back door.
Digging in the garden. The scent of tomato leaves on your hands.
The ache in your muscles after a hard day's work.
Sweating after a workout. A cool shower.
Fitting into your old jeans.
An inside joke shared with your 15-year-old son.
Family vacations. Family traditions.
"Time for supper."
Homemade spaghetti with meatballs, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese with a side of garlic toast.
Ice cold water. Cherry cobbler. Harry Potter.
A front row parking spot.
Front row tickets.
A dog needing you. A cat kneading you.
The smell of your spouse's favorite cologne.
Talking to your dad. Remembering your mom. Laughing with your sister.
Finding a pen that works. Writing a letter the old-fashioned way.
Finding the letters you and your spouse exchanged while dating. The words to your song.
Candlelight. A night light. Northern Lights.
Leaving the light on for your teenager.
Wishing on a star. Soaking in the sun.
A good laugh. A good cry.
Trust. Faith. Peace. Truth. Love. Family.
Cultivating gratitude.
Beginnings. Endings.
Until next time. Keep counting. I'm gonna try.
- Jill Pertler's column appears every Thursday in the Times. She can be reached at pertmn@qwest.net.
A fresh new bar of soap.
Singing in the shower. A baby shower.
A summer shower. A summer suntan.
Morning coffee on the front porch swing.
"Breakfast at Tiffanys." Breakfast for dinner. Breakfast of champions.
"We are the Champions."
Your son's first steps.
A long walk with an old friend.
Walking the dog. Yo-yos.
A dog's wagging tail. A cat's twitching tail.
Those whirlywig, helicopter maple seeds.
Fluffy clouds moving across a blue sky.
Electricity. Running water.
Home sweet home. Home improvement projects. Coming home for the holidays.
A home run with the bases loaded (unless you are the pitcher).
Your kindergarten daughter's drawing of your family, where no one has hands except the mom.
A dog's wet kisses. A cat's scratchy kisses.
When the dog lies in the grass on her back and kicks her legs in the air.
The smell of lemons. Green apple licorice.
Newly opened potato chips, straight out of the bag.
"You won." "Please." "Thank you."
"No cavities."
A lost tooth. Fairies. The imagination of a child.
The imagination of a parent.
Finding a penny. Finding your lost car keys.
Finding a lost friend on Facebook.
"Finding Nemo." Feeding the fish.
A visit to the zoo.
An afternoon nap.
"Because I'm the mom, that's why."
A deep, cleansing breath.
A tree fort. Water balloon fights. Red rover.
Twinkies. Velveeta. Froot Loops.
Removing a sliver. Popping a pimple.
A vacant space where the laundry pile once sat.
The fourth grade author's tea program at school.
Silly Putty. Silly String. Knock-knock jokes.
Giving a compliment. Seeing someone smile.
Dog nose prints on the window.
Handprints on the wall growing higher and higher.
Muddy boots discarded outside the back door.
Digging in the garden. The scent of tomato leaves on your hands.
The ache in your muscles after a hard day's work.
Sweating after a workout. A cool shower.
Fitting into your old jeans.
An inside joke shared with your 15-year-old son.
Family vacations. Family traditions.
"Time for supper."
Homemade spaghetti with meatballs, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese with a side of garlic toast.
Ice cold water. Cherry cobbler. Harry Potter.
A front row parking spot.
Front row tickets.
A dog needing you. A cat kneading you.
The smell of your spouse's favorite cologne.
Talking to your dad. Remembering your mom. Laughing with your sister.
Finding a pen that works. Writing a letter the old-fashioned way.
Finding the letters you and your spouse exchanged while dating. The words to your song.
Candlelight. A night light. Northern Lights.
Leaving the light on for your teenager.
Wishing on a star. Soaking in the sun.
A good laugh. A good cry.
Trust. Faith. Peace. Truth. Love. Family.
Cultivating gratitude.
Beginnings. Endings.
Until next time. Keep counting. I'm gonna try.
- Jill Pertler's column appears every Thursday in the Times. She can be reached at pertmn@qwest.net.
