A tribute to the little things in my life

I was on the bus that day, and I had some sort of an epiphany. I realised how often we associate beauty with opulence, majesty and grandiose, happiness with grand gestures of love, outstanding grades etc. Generally, these things seem to have to be big or larger than life or extraordinary to be appreciated. Then I realised that over the years I've learnt to appreciate the little things in life. Commonplace, everyday occurences that I can no longer envision a life without. These little things tend to be overlooked. Tiny flecks of shiny glitter that occasionally appear in a large pit of sand. We think it's a small, ordinary occurence, and yes, it does brighten my day a little but it isn't what makes me really happy. So what does? We dig and dig around in the sand pit doggedly, searching for that rare piece of precious rock that is of substantial weight and hence worth our affections. Most times, we aren't even sure what kind of rock we're looking for.

So I thought, why not collect these tiny flecks of glitter in a pretty glass container and appreciate how they collectively exude beauty as they sparkle in the sun.

The tiny flecks of glitter that brighten my otherwise dull and uninteresting life:
1) The warmth of sunshine on a damp foggy morning.
2) A sudden hug and 'goodnight' from my usually precocious sister.
3) Spinning my pen successfully after countless failed attempts.
4) Having someone to help me clear the dishes / wipe the table of their own accord when it's actually my turn to do it.
5) A neighbour holding the lift door open for everyone else to leave first.
6) Stopping by the window to admire the paint palette of orange red and pink hues that the sky morphs into every evening.
7) Having a quiet moment on my own to think about how yet another day has sped past, leaving in its trail only vague snippets of memory.
8) Looking up at the night sky to appreciate just how perfectly symmetrical the moon always is, crescent or not.
9) The comfortable silence between two close friends that doesn't need to be filled up with the too-loud laughter and corny jokes that accompany an awkward new friendship.
10) Noticing how a block of HDB flats at night is lit up warmly in individual units despite being shrouded in darkness.
11) Saturday afternoons spent with the Dwen An group.
12) The satisfaction that comes with completing a piece of work that I deem difficult to complete, and knowing that I could have procrastinated or cooked up an excuse, but didn't.
13) Daily train journeys home with people I'm glad I have in my life.
14) Peach Yami yogurt. 'Nuff said.
15) Waking from a pleasant dream that allowed me to experience something I really want to, albeit shortlived.
16) Remembering the dream.
17) The child-like pleasure and fascination we (Nan Marge Mans & I at least) derive from blowing mini-windmills on the top of pencils, watching the tiny blades spin into a blur.
18) The taste of familiar home-cooked goodness after an entire day of agonising school.
19) That fresh, slightly lazy feeling after emerging from a shower clean, dry, pleasant-smelling and feeling ready to take on the world.
20) The momentary sense of accomplishment that comes with finding the perfect word that describes exactly it while writing. If you get what I mean.

The littlest things really matter the most sometimes.