The Little Things In Life

Maybe it's the joy in my renewed motivation to achieve my career goals. Maybe it's the Hope glinting in everyone's eyes as of Jan 20, 2009. Maybe it's that my horoscope for today says: Positive energy is all around you now, and it's protecting you from any bad energy. Maybe it's a combination of these things that has caused me to stop and be thankful for the elements of my life that let me enjoy these pieces of happiness. Or maybe it all started yesterday...

My husband is an agent for New York Life. He frequently meets with people who have had it tough and are now trying to put the pieces together. Last night, Paul met with one such woman, whose story was both heartbreaking and uplifting. Her husband of 61 years had passed away, leaving her with financial matters she didn't understand. Her kids were grown and doing well financially, but couldn't provide insight as to how their father organized their assets.

"He did it all." she said, tears threatening to spill at any minute. She was referring to their money management.

"That's why we're here, ma'am, to help you sort this all out." Paul offered.

And then, as if she hadn't heard him at all, she recollected a memory shared with her husband years ago.

"We were crazy, adventurous newlyweds, not like our friends," she began. "We bought our first house and oh, it was a little old thing, but it was ours. We stayed in that house for 20 years, and my favorite part about it was the entrance hallway. The walls on both sides were covered floor to ceiling of pictures and memories we'd shared as a family during those 20 years. Andy, he's our oldest boy, framed his first baseball uniform, along with a photo of his team. Elen, our only daughter, was quite the artist at the young age of 4... even a piece of my veil was framed and hung.

"We did everything together, my husband and I. We were really two peas in a pod. You hear people saying that their spouse is their other half, but boy, he really was my other half."

Her voice faded at that point, and according to Paul it looked as though there was a light shining in her eyes, one that showed how special and important those memories were to her. How lucky she must feel to have experienced such love, such joy, such satisfaction.

Two hours after the conclusion of that meeting Paul arrived at my office, which is a place he's stepped foot in only once before, long ago. He was carrying the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen; their scent filled the room like none I've smelled before. He kissed me on the cheek, told me I was the most important thing in the world to him, and that he doesn't tell me often enough how lucky he is to have me. He told me the story of his new friend before leaving just as quickly as he'd come.

There's nothing quite like an unexpected visit from the only man who makes me giddy like a young girl time after time- even at the mere thought of him! The thing is, he makes those little gestures all the time and I don't even think he realizes it. We don't have a family yet, but there will come a time when we, too, are hanging our memories on the wall, mingling the precious moments we share alone with the moments when our kids take our breath away.

So, in conclusion to my tangent-filled thought process, each and every time I smell those flowers, or even catch a glimpse of them, I'm reminded to be thankful for those little things in life. I'm thankful for the breath I'm taking, the computer I'm typing on, the phone that hasn't stopped ringing all morning, my little sister on the other line, the work I'm responsible for today, and the husband who is going to help that lady whose world has been turned upside down in the wake of her husbands death.

This appreciation has encouraged me to not take life for granted, and motivated me to reach higher than I've ever reached to where those goals hover. Everyone inspires me in some way, whether it's what to do or what not to do.

Passion is the greatest emotion.