Little Things

There’s a book I want to buy the next time I’m at Costco called The Book of Awesome. It’s filled with these small joys that are completely inconsequential but are lovely nonetheless, like a full strip of untouched bubble wrap to pop. I want to read it because I’m all about the little things. I recently wrote a post about how lovely it is when two smiles mirror one another. It’s really terrific and it’s probably my absolute favorite feeling in the world. Now I’m off of school for the summer and as the stress subsides I’m constantly being reminded of really lovely moments. You know, small things that shouldn’t matter but actually make all the difference in the world. Here are some more of those little things that make me deliriously happy.

The moment when you’re singing and holding a note and the tone gets overwhelmed with vibrato and the sound transforms.

The excitement that builds as you’re about to finish a really good, really long book and the sense of accomplishment that accompanies it.

When you have worked really hard all semester and you check your marks online to find that it’s all paid off, or, when you’ve worked hard all semester and you check your marks online to find you did even better than you expected.

Waking up and feeling the perfect amount of rested.

How wedge heels are as cute and tall as heels but as comfortable and easy to walk in as ballet flats.

The first day that it is warm enough to wear a light jacket out instead of your wool pea coat.

When you give Liam a t-shirt with Elmo on it, and he’s so excited that he can’t decide between wearing it or looking at it, so he just sits next to you with it flipped over his head.

The first fish and chips of the season on WR Beach.

Sitting on the grassy knoll with all of your friends, doing shit all. 

When you go on a really long walk, and feel accomplished when the muscles in the back of your leg tighten up but don’t hurt.

Having intelligent conversations with people in academia, sharing ideas and feeling like people think you’re as smart and interesting as you find everyone else.

When someone asks your opinion about something important to them.

When Liam climbs up onto my lap and says “Aunty Kirsty, read Liam!”.

Greeting a friend who you haven’t seen in a really long time.

When people who usually ask what a Lit degree is good for ask you what you’re term papers are about and then just stare at you as you explain because it is completely beyond them.

When my friend Rob does his impression of a child trying to get the attention of his mother in a swimming pool.

When people think that you’re really funny for saying something that you didn’t really think would be that funny, or funny at all.

Dry heat.

Driving down Marine Drive in the summer with your windows rolled down and the music blaring really cheesy, fun music that you can sing to at the top of your lungs.

Watching a baby break into a big smile.

The first few days at the beginning of summer when you don’t have anymore school and haven’t yet figured out your work schedule, and you have time to yourself for the first time in 8 months.

Getting mail.

Going to parties in the summer when everyone is home and singing through BNL’s “Gordon” and realizing that everyone still knows all the words.

The smell of both freshly cut grass and pavement right after a light spring shower.

When Danica and her mom insist that the real name of “Ross” is “Ross Dress For Less”, when “Dress For Less” is clearly just their tag line.