As far as I know, not one human can guarantee future events. Despite the fact each of us dreams about and plans for milestones– graduating college, getting married, having children, and the story continues, not one of us can actually be sure these big moments will become reality. (Until they do, of course.) What we simply cannot anticipate are all the minor moments throughout every day. It is in the unique and unexpected details of a daily routine that the universe reminds us of our place -- our human condition that desires to not only live, but to feel alive.
On a Sunday afternoon in one of my hometown’s coffee shops, it is not uncommon to be accompanied by many students preparing for the school week. One such occasion, I reclined sideways on a comfy rouge lounge chair, fulfilling my required reading of “Pride and Prejudice.” I was being introduced to Mr. Bennett and his humorously dry sarcasm toward his wife, regarding her “poor nerves.” Unconsciously, I began smiling like an idiot and giggling into my text. After a couple seconds, my face turned bright red. I inched my glasses up my nose and nervously scanned the room to find several strangers looking up from their own studies and computers, smiling or shyly laughing at me (or with me, if I’m being optimistic.) As I gathered my composure, I observed my company carefully place their headphones back on and return to their private work. Sipping on my London Fog with my glasses tapping the brim of the mug, I closed my eyes and smiled slightly once more to myself.
Each and every one of us has experienced an unexplainable moment of beautifully raw happiness. Sure, it might not have been over Mr. Bennett’s tone in a Jane Austen novel, but the unexpected feeling is transparent for all humans of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs. Maybe it was when your favorite song came on, and in those beginning chords, you already knew you were about to have a private concert. Or maybe it was when you tried to make your whole family dinner and it turned out awful, but they still cleared their plates. Whatever the case, life is composed by these tiny bursts of joy, stringing together rhythmically to create a full life.
Our iPhone camera rolls, Facebook albums, Instagram feeds and other medias are understandably flooded with the “big life moments” – weddings, newborns, careers, vacations and so on. But I am rooting for the little things, the small bits that fill the cracks of life with sweetness, and tie up like a bow. The times your latte was made just exactly how you like it or you were reminded of how beautiful you are, just because. Why? Because, I will probably never forget how lame I probably looked sprawled out on a couch laughing at classic literature, and I indefinitely will not forget how genuinely happy it made me at the same time.
