Treasure the Small Things

When we were kids, by this time in the summer, all three of my siblings and I were whining that we were bored. And, my dad always warned, “When you get older, time moves so fast that you’ll wish you had time for boredom.” Man, was he right. 

We may not be able to shred our to-do lists or delay our responsibilities but what we can do, is savor every second we share with those we love. I live with a dog who easily and happily allows me to put on his collar, UV shirt, cooling collar, and sunscreen before we go for our hour-and-a-half 1.4-mile walk. Yes, he’s that slow. And, he’s always been that slow, sweet as pie but pokey beyond pokey. Gavin helps me learn patience every day. 

It would be easy to check out during our pre-walk routine or take for granted that Gavin doesn’t fuss, fidget, or stress during any part of his pre-walk ritual. So, I’m practicing more mindfulness during everyday, seemingly mundane activities by adding an extra stroke on his neck after I put on his collar or kissing him on the head (he actually loves that) after I apply his sunscreen, or gazing into his beautiful brown eyes when I’m feeding him pills and telling him that I love him. 

When I’m inserting more love and compassion into our day, I feel less guilt for not sitting and snuggling with him 24 hours every day. And, I feel much more capable of handling life’s little curveballs like losing electricity in our kitchen on Tuesday or the post office not picking up deliveries on Wednesday.

As a small business owner, it’s natural for me to want to do my best every second of every day. Still, if I’ve filled my cup, I’m going to feel better about how I treat the USPS customer service representative who happens to take my call about the no-show. 

So, I hope today that you’ll find peace in the beautiful moments in your life, even if there’s only one. And, I hope you’ll feel love, for yourself, for your dog(s), and for the people you call family and friends, and I hope that because you took a moment to honor your need for love when you go out into the busy world, you’ll be your brightest, kindest, most patient self.