What made you smile today?
I hope you smiled today because smiling is good for your mental and physical health. Your brain actually releases chemicals when you smile that reduce stress. Smiles can also be contagious. Smiles, in my humble opinion, are tied to gratitude. What made me smile today? Several things so here is my gratitude list for today in the order they occurred:
Zorro, the cardinal, is a regular at my bird feeders set up in the backyard. I love all the birds that come by, but there are two I talk to (yes through the glass window, it makes me happy) Zorro and Blue. When they both hit the feeders, it is quite patriotic out there with the red, white, and blue feathers. Zorro and I have had a steady relationship though. He and his mate come by early mornings around 7:00 a.m. Watching them and how they interact makes me smile.
My friends who are spread all over the United States send me good vibes. I have several friends in New York, California, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Tennessee. When I left NYC to move to Tennessee, I could never have imagined the wide network of support I would have. These are friendships that have spanned decades. People who were with me through major life changes. And I reciprocate, sufficiently I hope, because I love those friends and want them to feel the happiness everyone deserves to have in life.
The hot water in my shower keeping me clean. I am so grateful I was not born in the days of the wild west when people relied on buckets to fill a bath tub. The convenience of modern plumbing is something I smile at and am thankful for every morning.
My hair dryer which is at least 10 years old and dries my thick hair. I bought a fancy, top of the line hair dryer. Quality makes a difference. I smile every time I turn it on and it still works. I had purchased a fancy Dyson one but returned it. The Dyson worked nicely; however, I didn’t need it especially when COVID hit and I didn’t know when I would work again.
With modern technology, I get to do church at home when I am unable to leave the house because I am not feeling so great. I was able to view my normal service and chat with other church visitors. It inspired an idea that may prove to develop into something bigger.
I was also thankful for the cold and clean water I was able to drink. There are countries on the African continent that do not have access to drinking water! We are mostly made of water. Humans need water to survive. Water is necessary for our skin, joints, liver and kidney functions. I love water.
I am fortunate enough to have all those other basic needs taken care of including shelter and food. Every community has a small number of unhoused people. In California, I met a couple of men who were unhoused by choice. One was a war veteran. Many do not choose that path though and need assistance. Food insecurity effects 1 in 8 people. I open my pantry, and I have food choices.
I also enjoyed the bright sunshine and white fluffy clouds in a gorgeous blue sky. What would I have done if it rained? Rain used to bum me out. Now when it rains, I am grateful that the rain is doing its job providing the water all the greenery in my area needs. It also helps clear out the pollen in the air so that’s nice if you have allergies.
Now was every moment of my day covered with pixie dust and rainbows—no, of course not. Life is not perfect; it has perfect moments. When those perfect moments happen, see them, enjoy them, and smile. Appreciate what you have TODAY. Our world moves so fast now and most of us stress out trying to keep up with that speed. It is not realistic. You need breaks. I’ve worked at a few organizations that say in the human resource manual you get two fifteen minute breaks, but those jobs also were so stressful I never got to use those breaks. It lead to burn out. TAKE YOUR BREAK. Notice small things to be grateful for and by the way my health is not on the list. I am having health issues at the moment, but you know what, my friends and my church family have my back. Hopefully, health will be back on my list soon. I hope you all smile today.
