The Little Things

This morning I woke from a restful night's sleep (still wrapped in the warmth of my favorite quilt) to the gentle drumming of rain. Rain! I love the weather in New Mexico, but rain is not something we see a lot of, so this morning's rain was a welcome sound...and smell... and sight.

After making my bed, I shuffled my way across the room to dig through my closet for my favorite fuzzy slippers - the first time I have needed them since early 2009 - then tugged my favorite sweatshirt over my pj's and continued with a now-quicker shuffle over shiny hardwood floors and through my morning routine and into my cozy little kitchen.

A quick turn of the knob and a gas-induced flame danced from the burner of my not-so-new stove. I slid the bright red teapot over the flame and bustled around like a 1950's housewife.

After carefully slicing a bagel, I popped it into the toaster and took three steps to the left to open the refrigerator and grab two fresh eggs.

As I grabbed the nonstick frying pan, the teapot began its morning whistle and I poured steaming hot water over a ginger lemon tea bag in my Las Vegas Starbucks mug (a gift from my friend, Dee). Only a few minutes later the toasted raisin bagels popped up and I spread a thin layer of cream cheese across both while watching the hot frying pan.

Perfect eggs (fried in a dab of butter with a sprinkle of fresh garlic and green onions), a cream cheese raisin bagel, hot ginger tea, warm slippers, a comfy sweatshirt and the patter of rain.

Life doesn't get much simpler, or much better than that.

I guess maybe I would have loved being a 1950's housewife, but at least I am finally getting to do some of the little things I have never had a chance to just do and enjoy for their simplicity - the simple, little things that make me happy. The only thing that would make it better is someone to share it with. Family - a not-so-little thing.

In the end, that is what  matters - the natural things, the god-given things, the simple things. We spend so much of our lives working for things that really don't matter - fame, riches, excitement. Wouldn't it be something if the human race figured out that all those things can and should be found in the warmth of your own home, with your loved ones? It could be so simple, but we make it so hard.

Today I am especially thankful for the little things, and the not so little things. (the highlighted words are all of the simple things I enjoyed this morning, I plan to look for more simple joys all day today - maybe we all should!)

Good morning, world!

Cat Stevens "Morning Has Broken"