Little Wonders

Considering this whole week has been sunny and warm here, my spirits have been significantly lifted. So today, I decided to go out and just enjoy the simple things of life. It reminds me of the song that concludes a movie called Meet the Robinsons, called Little Wonders by Rob Thomas. Obviously, it's about how the little things in life affect us so largely in our lives. Well, I was feeling drawn to do something wild and spontaneous, so I went out to the swing. Many memories on that swing set, of course :). I took my mothers ipod (of course it has all my music on it), and I just got out there. It was so warm, and I just felt like a little kid again. I usually get so frustrated with my hair when it's flying all in my face as I swing, because I hate having it in my face. But today, I didn't let that bother me. I just felt like I was gracefully happy, or like I was in a music video, watching my brothers play catch.
And I felt so sorry for people who don't know what joy music brings. And also, people who think their worth is based on how much money they have, and how many pairs of Buckle jeans they have, how many famous people they've met, and how many times a summer they go to Hawaii, and Mexico, and all those places. They think the word "live" means if you have ever gone sky-diving, or if you've flown a plane, or if you've seen the Grand Canyon and the Great Wall of China.
Well, I'm here to tell you that that is most certainly NOT how it works. It's quite the opposite, in fact. It's what we do with the LITTLE things that we have, what we do with each little tender moment that shows up in our lives, and how much we notice and appreciate them.
I have some questions I would like to ask those people. Have you ever just slept outside with your brothers and let the night sky watch over you as you point out shooting stars?, or have you ever roasted marshmallows in the late spring around the fireplace just because you can, or have you made those flimsy forts on those rainy autumn Sunday afternoons, then slept out in it and stayed up all night while sitting in it, and talking with all of your siblings? Have you ever just stopped to climb a tree, and feel its regal beauty, or stooped to pick up a lone flower and felt each individual petal? Have you ever sat down and read an inspiring book, and allowed it to change your life? Have you ever been to a choir concert, or a community play and stood up genuinely applauding for the unity you all had in sharing the best of music? Have you ever noticed the simple little quirks about the place where you live? Have you ever felt a lock of your baby brother's hair, or read him a story to put him to sleep at night? If you haven't, then you have never lived. Because those are the moments that we truly live for.
Anyway....Swinging always puts me in a reflective mood.... Well, it's always good to have some reflection in one's life. Especially when you're able to enjoy all of the little things.
 I plan on making many more such visits to the swing in the near future :)