A little thing that makes you happy

A smell of grass, freshly cut. The dust inhabiting a nose tickling until a sneeze erupts. Baby's breath, friends surriunding me in a moment of angst, my son calling to say hello when he was off of Iraqi soil.

There are many things that are small that make me happy. Even a giggle from the person trying to hide behind a sofa. You know, the one whose legs you can see extended past the end.

This is a hard topic. It is hard to pin down any one thing when so many things are worthy of inclusion. Perhaps if I start with a wake up and work through a day, and see where that takes me.

Shrill beep of an alarm clock, eyes don't have to open, fingers find their way to the snooze button. Seven more minutes of cozy warmth snuggling under the quilt. The phone whistles, hubby's voice erupts from the earpiece, "It's your alarm call." Of course, eventually, I will roll off the bed and try to dodge the dog who is sure to be where my feet will land. It's nice to know she is there, and her fur softly tickles my feet, and she grunts enjoying the good morning rub. Sunshine or rain is something I check for right away. Not because I will have a depressing day if it is rain, but because I like to see the yard in its various states. Sunshine would glint off the leaves and reflect in the window, while dazzling rays pour golden through the limbs to land in a heap on the ground. Rain has a beauty all its own. Puddles that beckon the birds and squirrels, glimmering crystals balanced delicately on a leaf or blade of grass, watch it closely, it trembles and shakes, holding on as long as possible before falling to the ground and in doing so losing its individuality to become one of many. Small to big. (analogy in there somewhere for me to use)
Waking up my children is a pleasure that they may not share. Stretching and rolling before curling back up into a ball, they slowly appear to waken as a flower opens its petals to the early morning sunshine. Sleepy eyes are rubbed by knuckles from a closed fist, then a yawn to take that first real breath of the day. Then there is the hair, woah! Spiked and looking like a hedgehog who has been invited to sleepover without permission, it greets me up close. Stumbling to the floor, they wobble, did they have one too many last night? Feet drag and shoulders slouch, the whole body not ready for the day ahead.
Smells of tea and toast awaken the nose. Hugs say goodbye when I leave.
Outside the dirt is soft under me feet. The radio that sings when the engine turns, I feel the bumps in the road that take me to a destination of my choosing.

Anyway, you get the idea. I can go through a day and find things to make me happy.

When I first came to the US, phone calls home wer extremely rare and cost prohibitive. The plan I have now allows me to call often for one set price. It is wonderful to wake up and call my mum or sister before heading out for the day. We get to keep in touch as if I were closer. Relate the days events so far, give a weather report, or share plans for the day. Letters used to be the way to keep in touch. But by the time they were received the information had no bearing. Mum could not call and say is so and so still enjoying this, when it had been over for a while. Emails and instant messages keep us in touch now. Instead of doing like my sister and calling to say the baby just took a step (for example), we email the little things that happen during the day. If it is a bad day, we can even write that, knowing it stays as secret as if we met in the park and chatted while sitting on a bench.

All these things and more are small, but when I am happy they are also large. Life is so small, that is what makes me happy.