Digressions: My Life in 500 Words or Less

The holidays are over, but everywhere in our house, evidence remains. More importantly, the season — as usual — brought with it some of the most valuable gifts: joy, laughter and love.

But this blog isn’t about the holidays. It isn’t about the fact Becca and I still haven’t taken down most of our Christmas decorations.

It’s about appreciating all the good things that make life a rich, happy experience.

Sometimes that’s the intangible: the warmth of emotion derived from laughter during a gathering of friends and loved ones.

Sometimes it’s the tangible: the sparkling ornaments and colored lights on a brightly-decorated Christmas tree glowing with beauty.

And sometimes it’s a combination of things: a tangible item that evokes intangible emotions culled from memory.

Case in point: a gift I received from Becca of a word-burned image of a sun and moon.

The sun and moon is a motif in our home because it has personal significance to us. That means the gift does, too.

The icing on the cake is the gift was purchased from a friend who crafted it as one of many items for inventory for her business. Becca happened to see it in a social media post and contacted Christy Stith to buy it from her creations at The Wandering Bear. (Beautiful work, Christy. It made me smile so much!)

But this gift certainly isn’t the only one I received that made me happy or had significance. That is not the point.

The point is the gift is representative of the way happiness has many strong roots and limbs. The things that bring us joy are rooted in special significance to us that may stretch back years and encompass numerous unseen people, moments and memories. At the same time, the very same things can reach out beyond us when we extend that joy to others.

And all this should be appreciated.

Maybe this is much too much weight to place on material things. Maybe it is not enough.

In any event, I appreciate the good things, big and small, in my life — those which bring me joy and make me smile with gratitude — and I want to acknowledge that.

I appreciate my family, friends, and everything that connects them to me. I appreciate the gifts, hand-crafted, store bought, second hand, brand new. I appreciate the kind words, shared laughter and warm hugs. I appreciate the quiet moments, the loud ones and all those in between. I appreciate every kindness, bit of silliness and splash of craziness which created happy memories.

And I appreciate you.

Yes, you there, reading this. Because written words lose meaning and power if they are not read.

And you, too, have sources of happiness, in things great and small, which I hope you’ll recognize and appreciate. They may seem distant or even non-existent at times, but their roots are strong, and their reach is far, if you’ll allow it to be.

Appreciate what makes you happy in this new year. And always.