It’s the Little Things

Life moves fast. Days fly by, seasons change, and sometimes we don’t stop to notice. We focus on big

events – the life-changers – the Instagrammed dream vacations, the Facebook-announced promotions,

weddings, and mid-parade dance parties to ‘Twist and Shout.’ These deserve to be celebrated, of

course, but there’s also so much to be enjoyed when you look at the little things.

I’ve found the little things to be really helpful when dealing with my depression. Just like those tiny

victories, the simple pleasures are small. They might not impress anyone else, and that’s ok. When I feel

the cloud of gloom and doom settle over me and feel myself nicked by the double-edged sword of past

rumination and future anxiety, I take stock of my favorite things – the little, easy, simple things – and it’s

that much easier to beat back those grey clouds.

My simple pleasures include daisies, old books, warm wool socks, driving with the windows down, a

book that lays easily in your hand, snuggling with my kid, a perfect little black dress, dance parties,

sitting with someone who makes you laugh until you ache, and macarons. Things like basking in the sun,

splashing in the puddles, executing a perfect hair flip, and seeing that time of day just before the sun

dips below the horizon. I think of fireplaces, peonies, wooden screen doors, buttercream frosting, and

mountains. It’s the brush of the sun on my left arm as I drive and falling asleep to the frogs and crickets

on a summer night.

Try it. List your simple pleasures. Make a Pinterest board so that on the really bad days, your simple

pleasures are literally at your fingertips. Hold onto that feeling you get the next time you put on a pair of

new woolen socks or hold your cup of coffee, feel it warming your hands, and simply enjoy.