The Little Things

I recently saw a movie that reminded me of I play I've recently studied. The movie that I saw is called Wonder. It's about a boy born with severe facial deformities and how he and the people in his life have to overcome the challenges in each of their lives and come to appreciate the little things in life. At one point in the movie, they recreate the play Our Town and use the reminder that the play gives to show the characters to focus on the now before things slip by.

This particular play has meaning to me. I've recently had to study it and look deeper into its meaning than I've ever had to before. The simplicity of its plot and characters helped me to realize, just like the characters in Wonder, that I'm too focused on events of the past or working towards goals for the future that I don't appreciate what's happening in my everyday life. To help me slow down my life and appreciate the small occurrences, I made a list that will hopefully help me change my view on life.

50 Things That Make Me Smile

1. puppies

2. crunching leaves

3. loud shoes

4. warm blankets

5. bonfires

6. cool, crisp air

7. sunny days

8. island beaches

9. long hikes

10. vanilla ice cream

11. milkshakes

12. books

13. a really good, long TV series

14. soccer

15. running as fast as I can

16. fresh snow

17. being surrounded by friends

18. strawberry smoothies

19. planting gardens

20. exhausting hikes

21. blaring sing-a-long music

22. crowded parties

23. dole whip ice cream

24. pineapple upside-down cake

25. dark, bitter chocolate

26. fresh, mountain air

27. vanilla candles

28. soft blankets and scarves

29. driving fast

30. hurdling

31. babbling brooks

32. playing music

33. seminary

34. baking cupcakes

35. cooking a new dish

36. making other people smile

37. learning new things

38. trying on clothes

39. baby animals

40. horseback riding

41. carving pumpkins

42. cello solos

43. long talks with friends

44. others talking to me

45. taking pictures

46. warm naps

47. big dogs

48. cheesy movies

49. big breakfasts

50. when the people closest to us are happy