While the Coffee Brews

Sometimes in the morning, when I have just woken up and I am waiting for the coffee to brew, I will take out a little book that I own called ’14,000 Things to Be Happy About’.  At some point in my life, during the summer away from teaching I am sure, I looked through the entire thing.  And I underlined the things that really actually did make me happy.  Not what everyone else likes.  Not what they prefer or tell me about or wonder about. 

Just me.    

I find that looking at this every once in a while gives me a jolt about life again.  It gives me space to breathe and stand in one place a little longer.   It wakes me up to other things about this great big world that I just can’t see when I look out the window and see one season and one place.  This is my waiting-for-the-coffee-to-brew-list today.

• Your ship coming in

• Being clear-eyed

• The best things said coming last

• Your own energy as a letter of introduction

• Fog mists over violet moors

• Fireplace bursts

• Handwriting

• Old-fashioned hospitality

• Moving stuff around to make a room look fresh (of course I love that one)

• Your first bicycle

• The second cup of coffee

• Things not always being what they seem

• The apple of your eye

• Competence

• Standing up straighter

• Cozy brunches

• Living in grace

• Being houseproud

• Humorous phone calls (one yesterday from Molly comes to mind right away)

• An icy diamond powdering of stars

• A vacation from buying stuff

• Organizing your goals

• Friendship cards

• Grocery shopping in the early morning (I really do like this one)

• The nickname ‘Peaches’

• Men’s ties

• Keeping a secret

• Asking simple questions

• Someone calling you and inviting you to lunch

• Maiden names

• Reverie and conversation

• The prospect of learning

• Phoning home

• A parenthesis in time

• Absolute revelations

I realize that all of these things are very simple and present and just as they are.  I like them for this reason.  Lately there are a lot of big picture things driving my landscape.  There is momentum but I have to find ways to time out a little because the world does not stop for me.   Most of it is good.  Things get done.   

But often there is much more to life than just getting things done, no?    So says this list.