It's often said that it's important to "appreciate the little things." In a fast-paced world with many things to do and simply not enough time, it becomes all too easy to forget about such little things. We get caught up in ourselves--whether we said the right things or wore the right clothes. It's in normal human nature to obsess over how others perceive us, but oftentimes we forget how we're perceiving the world around us. As a way to better appreciate the intricacies that make up the beauty of life, I've compiled a list:
1. The gentle grip of a small child wrapping their delicate finger around yours
2. The light in someone's eyes when they talk about something or someone they love as though it's the only thing in the world that matters; even more heart-warming when someone looks at you that way
3. The aged hands of your grandmother running her fingers through your hair--her prominent veins boasting their decades of labor
4. The sheepish laughter following an embarrassing moment; a slight moment of endearing vulnerability seen even in the most confident of people
5. The crinkling of a nose, like valleys forming to make room for droplets of genuine happiness
6. Witnessing a turning point in history
June 26, 2015
7. Reading that one line in your favorite book and feeling a surge of literary appreciation
8. Driving in solitude, one hand on the wheel, windows down as gusts of wind blow around you--feeling open and free; that fleeting moment of utmost contentment
9. Watching a sunset or sunrise (clichés are clichés for a reason)
10. When your heart feels like it's sinking into itself, drowning and suffocated; an excruciating and visceral pain, almost an obscure sorrow that makes you feel more "human"
11. Slipping deeper into the soft granules of sand; the gentle feel of small pebbles gliding between your toes, making you forget about the now. You find yourself drifting temporarily into a serene sanctuary
16. Watching rain fall as you drink a mug of your favorite warm drink and listen to your favorite music
17. Having a lifelong goal or dream come true
18. There's just something about happily married old couples
19. The profoundness of childhood innocence and drive for discovery
20. Basking in the glee of being surrounded by loved ones and family that care to understand you
