"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens; Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens....la la la la....These are a few of my favourite things." Well, not mine, Maria von Trapp's favourite things because you see, I have no use for warm woollen mittens and I don't use bright copper kettles (owe it to living in a tropical country and the invention of microwave ovens) although, when I think of it, raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens do make me happy. Favourite things - little things - little things that matter.
Now let's forget Maria and stop humming all the songs from the evergreen musical (crazy earworm, I tell you) and think of our lives. The little things in our lives. What little things, you ask? I would love to say the shapes of clouds or the fragrance of spring and all that but who really cares these days? Those are probably the little things of the older non-millenial uncles and aunties.
The little things for us (the "youth") would be (atleast for me) a walk on a quiet street in the middle of a busy day or a hug from the better half for no reason. For some of you, it may mean the aroma of freshly brewed coffee or the taste of biscuit dipped in chai. It could mean an e-mail from the HR team that you are doing a great job or an Instagram post from a friend reminding you of the laughter marathon you shared a year ago (social media for the win!). Maybe it's a visit to pay respect to God or a stay-cation (yes, that's a thing now).
The way mom asks if you are eating well or the way dad asks if your bills are paid, the sight of a puppy wagging its tail or the sound of a baby's laugh, the way your hair looks after a visit to the salon or the way your partner smiles at you first thing in the morning, the memories of a late night with friends or a video-call with them today, the excitement of a new thriller or the earmarked yellow page of an old book, your grandfather ruffling your hair or grandmother keeping the fridge stocked for you, coming home to clean apartment or falling asleep on freshly washed clothes. All these things matter. These little things matter.
Why then, do we not think of these things more often instead of always dwelling in stress over our studies, jobs, bills, mortgages, broken relationships, loneliness, jealousy and sadness? I agree that none of the little things can keep our tummies full and lives secure but they all do one thing - give us happiness. They can make your day. They can make paying your bills worth it. And at the end, that simple joy is all that matters.
Dream big, aim high...yeah yeah sure, but focus on the tiniest things that made you smile along the way too.
So why don't we take a step back, relax, hit the snooze button on our busy lives and admire a dew drop or the smell of fresh rain or the sound of music? Which brings me back to Maria von Trapp singing "When I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things and then I don't feel so bad!"
My3.
P.S For those of you who don't know, the musical I'm referring to is the Sound of Music and if you haven't watched it yet, what are you waiting for???
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