Those who know me well might giggle over this…but I’ve taken up yoga. I know I’m an unlikely candidate, for an hour long yoga session means I actually have to be quiet for an hour, but I’m kicking it–thank you very much. It is bringing me inner peace, additional physical fitness, and a true sense of relaxation.
Other than one time–when a tall, slim 20-something year old plopped down right in front of me–I am usually the youngest in my two classes, other than the teacher. I’m a bit possessive of this fact, so young-uns need not attend my classes to strip me of that title. Let me have that one thing….I mean, come on.
One of my favorite parts of each class is the conversations that occur during the few minutes before each class starts. During a 10-15 minute period when we’re all getting settled, spreading our mats across the floor in our chosen spot, interesting conversation always begins. Some prime topics have been: overly amorous husbands (not awkward at all)…. shingles (yikes…that poor woman!), too-close bear encounters (yoga lovers tend to be nature lovers as well)…. and pie crust recipes (yes, I did take a few notes). However, this morning the topic was heated toilet seats. Apparently, the two bathrooms in our yoga studio don’t have their own heat vents…therefore, they are quite cold on chilly mornings like today. As one of the women emerged from the cold bathroom before class began, she exclaimed “my bum is in shock!” Not realizing what exactly she was referring to, I was a bit taken aback. I mean, anyone yelling anything about their bum as they exit a bathroom can be a little concerning. After a bit, I learned she was talking about how cold the toilet seat was. One of my fellow yogis shared with us all that she proudly had heated toilet seats in her home. Two more ladies quickly added that they also have the luxury of these heated toilet seats. I’m started to feel a little left out….hmmm, should I look in to this? I mean, those middle of the night trips to the loo can truly freeze your hiney, right?
My favorite part of this conversation was when one of the proud heated toilet seat owners announced “I am so thankful for mine.” We all giggled a bit, thinking that these heated toilet seats were an odd item to actually be thankful for…as she asked “What?? I love them, and I’m thankful for them! You can be thankful for the tiniest things you want!” I quickly took note of that last sentence, as everyone continued to laugh, while agreeing with her. You can be thankful for the tiniest things you want. I love it! And HOW TRUE.
Most of us have the same type things on our list of things we are most thankful for…right? Family, friends, our home, our health, our jobs, and the list goes on and on, usually listing items categorized into the “big stuff.” But what about the little things?
I think kids definitely do a better job at this than adults. A while before Thanksgiving, I told Ella she only had sixty seconds to list ten things she was truly thankful for. Her list was pretty awesome:
- Our many, many (so many) animals
- Her Mommy (yesss!)
- Buffalo Chicken Dip (see what I mean? The small stuff!)
- Laughter (that’s actually HUGE)
- The Office (her favorite TV show…don’t judge me, please)
- Her good grades on her report card
- All the leftover Halloween candy (it’s all gone now…I helped)
- NiNi (my Mom)
- Pretty sunrises and sunsets
- Her Friends
A nice, nice mixture of big and small. With only one minute to think, she did great. Maybe we take too long to think, sometimes. We always tend to think that we must imagine the BIG picture when thinking of what we are thankful for. But if you stick to the moment you’re in–right now–what would you say?
Right at this very moment, I’m thankful for this hot cocoa I’m sipping. I’m thankful for the pine scented candle burning nearby. I’m thankful for the quietness. I’m thankful for my messy house, which I’m currently ignoring. If I had nothing to scatter around, it wouldn’t be so messy.
I asked Ella to do the same thing a few days later, but this time I gave her one rule: No big stuff at all. Just little things. Once again, pretty awesome:
- turkey sandwiches
- pillows
- Christmas ornaments
- sleeping dogs who love to cuddle
- rainy nights
- warm clothes straight from the dryer
- Dairy Queen blizzards
- toothpaste
- the sound of cats purring
- pictures of friends and family
BAM.
The big things are important. If we didn’t have them, our lives would be something we probably can’t even imagine. No house, job, family….it would be our worst nightmare. But without the little things, we’d be bored. Bored, living with the big stuff….but not knowing how to appreciate the little stuff. I’m not only thankful for the small stuff, but I’m thankful that I have learned to appreciate each and every little thing.
Sometimes, these little things can actually be annoyances that can, and do, at times fall completely off of the list of things we are thankful for. But would we rather have a bigger problem? Of course not. We often have to remind ourselves to be thankful for the little issues, because they’re just that–LITTLE. As I sit here at my kitchen counter writing, the sound of my dripping faucet is scratching at my last nerve. Sure, it’s my own fault for neglecting to call a plumber day after day. But would I rather have a bigger problem of no water at all? Nope.
(note to self….call that plumber)…..but be thankful in doing so.
I’m thankful for the cold, rainy morning we had today. That led to the cold bathroom in the yoga studio, that lead to the funny conversation about heated toiled seats, that led to me feeling like doing a little blogging today. One thing leads to another, to another, and to another…..with each of those things usually being something we should be thankful for. We often don’t. But we should.
I’m thankful for you–whoever you are. If you’re reading this, then yep–I’m talking to you. Because of you–my silly thoughts would just remain my own. But if you’re reading, it’s like I got to share my thoughts with you today.
Let’s all be thankful for the small stuff. Make your own list. There’s a lot…. take time to realize it, enjoy it, and be thankful for it.
Kickin' & Screamin' 