Don’t Let the Little Moments Pass You By

I believe in appreciating the little things. In a world that moves at such a quick pace, too often people overlook the “little things”; those small things that punctuate daily life. Before I explain this belief, I should elaborate on my definition of little things. The things that make you smile throughout your day without you even thinking about them, the feel of a cool breeze on a hot summer day, catching the ice cream man when you really want ice cream, the feel of wet dog kiss as they greet you when you come home from a long day. I believe that everyone should stop and take the time to appreciate these little things in life.

        One of my favorite moments that has led me to this belief is going to the Donut Hole with my Grandpa Dale. The Donut Hole is a locally owned donut shop in Webb City, Missouri, where I grew up. Every Tuesday during the summer, my Grandpa would take me down there and we’d spend hours eating donuts and reminiscing with some of his friends. When I was younger I didn’t fully appreciate the hours I spent there every summer. I was a child and my Grandpa and all of his friends were 90 and up. And every Tuesday, they would tell the exact same stories and laugh at the same jokes. I stopped going after a few summers and I still regret not going. I’ve learned now to appreciate that time, to appreciate the smell of fresh donuts, and to appreciate the coffee-breathed old men tell those worn down stories.

        The story that has always stuck in my memory is my Grandpa’s Bonnie and Clyde story. My Grandpa worked for Empire Electric Company for around fifty years. During these fifty years, he loved to tell the story of the time he was ran off the road by Bonnie and Clyde. He was dispatched to a call in a rural area, remember that at this time the electric trucks were very different, more similar to a regular pickup truck. He was on a ladder 20 feet in the air working on a telephone pole when he heard the garbled transmission from his truck walkie-talkie to get out of the area because Bonnie and Clyde were coming. He got off the pole and into his truck just as Bonnie and Clyde zoom past nearly running him off the road. A few minutes later, sirens and lights flash by as the police try to catch up to them. I heard this story almost every Tuesday for the entirety of my youth and I will never forget the big smile that my grandpa got as he gauged everyone’s reaction, relishing in the gasps and chuckles.

        I think back about that story and smile. I love remembering my grandpa’s wrinkly face tell those stories, love the way all the old men dressed really nicely for their weekly visit to the donut shop, love the warm feeling of sticky donut holes as I made a huge mess with all the sugar. All those little moments are the things I remember about my Grandpa and I honestly love them much more than any big moment I can remember.

                Learning how to appreciate the little things in life has proven to be extremely valuable to me. Finding joy in the simple things is a wonderful tool to have. One of my fondest memories is a rather recent one. Almost a year ago, my husband, Michael, and I adopted a dog. We had been looking online for a few weeks trying to find the perfect companion for us. Michael pointed out a chubby, wrinkly dog that I didn’t like at all and I pointed out a slender, furry dog that Michael didn’t like. We found out that both the dogs we wanted were going to be at a little meet and greet in town and we decided to go. We walked into the meet and greet not really knowing what to expect. As we walked around, taking in all the dogs just wanting to find their forever home, we stumbled upon the wrinkly dog that Michael had fallen in love with. Upon first sight, I knew he was the dog for us. He was stumbling over his own feet and constantly greeting everyone with what looked exactly like a smile. We walked over to the cage that he was in and just asked to start filling out the paperwork to take him home. Connie, the lady who is in charge of Route 66 Adoption Center, told us to take him out and start walking him around to see how well we clicked with him. When we opened his cage, he rushed out and almost knocked Michael over with his wet, sloppy kisses. It was almost as if he knew we were his.

                Most dog owners find those wet, sloppy kisses to be a burden, always cleaning up drool, but I cherish each and every one. Milo is an English bulldog, Shar-Pei Mix; basically a brown, 80 pound, wrinkly, drool machine that snores so loud he can wake you out of the deepest sleep. Both breeds are rather prone to health issues so I know we won’t get to spend as much time with Milo as we would like. The owners that Milo had previously were not very good to him. They neglected and abused him. When they had their new baby, Milo fell by the wayside. He was left outside on a collar and chain and because of this he had a lot of health issues when we got him, lots of sore spots and raw skin. In the short year that we have had Milo, we’ve tried very hard to make him feel loved and his health has drastically improved! We even included him in our wedding and he got his own bow tie! Almost every weekend, when it’s nice out, we go hiking with him. And usually we take a lunch and Milo gets more food than Michael and I do. Milo also enjoys his visits to Petsmart, we take him there often and every time he struts through the toy aisle, head held high and gets to pick out whatever toy his stubby, little snout can find.

                One summer day, Michael and I were taking Milo on a hiking trip. We get to the park and walk around to greet all the people and other dogs before we run off into the woods. Milo does his usual happy trot around the park, so excited to see other dogs and get to run around the woods. We head off into the woods and Milo leads the way like normal. After he’s had his normal lunch of half a turkey sub, he always wants mine, never Michael’s, we head back to the car. He stretches out in the backseat and promptly falls asleep, snoring so loud the windows shake. He was unusually spoiled that day, he got a puppacino. We stopped by Starbucks for fruit smoothies and Milo of course got a tasty treat as well. I will always remember the way the whipped cream splattered on his face just far enough out of reach he couldn’t lap it up with his tongue. Michael snapped a quick picture and it remains my favorite.

                Anytime I’m sad, I can call up on these little moments and be reminded about true happiness. I can think about donut holes and old man stories and remember that one day I’ll be telling my grandchildren about my stories over a round of chocolate milk and donuts. I can think about Michael running around with Milo in the backyard, Milo gleefully barking and running away as fast as he can. I honestly don’t know what I would do without having these moments to call up on in times of need. I feel as though everyone needs these little things in order to make it through even the most normal of days. These things make me so happy so quickly that it’s difficult to be upset about anything. They instantly refocus my attention to simpler times of extreme joy. Who can be sad when thinking about a big, slobbery pooch?

                I think it’s extremely important not to take these fleeting moments for granted. They come and go so quickly that it’s very easy to not even notice their passing. I find it very humbling to seek out such seemingly insignificant moments and relish in their simplicity. It has overall made a very positive impact on my life. I find happy moments even more pleasurable and sad moments much easier to move past; it’s also much easier to find simple joy in rough times. Enjoying these small moments is so fun to me and I only wish that the entire world would share my view. If everyone stopped to enjoy one little thing, celebrate a little victory, the world would be a better, much more positive place. If there’s one thing the world can benefit from, it’s being a little more positive. In a world with such negativity, appreciating the way a moment can make you feel is of the utmost importance.

                When I think of happiness, these little moments in time are what come to mind: the smell of a fresh donut, my Grandpa’s weathered hands waving around to punctuate a story, the friendly barks of hello, the wag of a tail that shows how excited he is for the simplest of things. These little moments are so easy to find if we just take a second to look around and it’s never too late to look around and find things to remember. To look for positivity in a world filled with so much negativity is a truly wonderful skill. I believe in the importance of taking a deep breath and celebrating the little things. To me, these little moments are what keep me humble. They remind me to slow down and not take the small things for granted. They show me how simple life can be if you take the time to truly appreciate the little things.