Bit #8: Savor the simple things

Little Life Lesson and Bit of Grace 8: Savor the simple things in your life

{Editor's Note: Thanks so much to my dear friend Whitney for writing this fantastic post. I have so enjoyed getting to know her. She is fun, funny, kind, intelligent, loving, and honest. I adore this post and have been thinking so much about it since I received it. I am going to write my "simple things" list to put them in a special box that is my FAVORITE THINGS box. I can look back on these lists years down the road and relive these favorite things and parts of my life. It is so important to remember those simple things. I am even thinking of doing a "Happy Favorite Day" holiday in our home. I hope you all will take a minute to think of what your favorite simple things are in your life. Thanks again Whitney...you are so fantastic!!}

"Hi, my name is Whitney and I'm materialistic." <----- this is where you all collectively say "Hi, Whitney!"

I admit it. I love things. All things. Clothes, makeup, magazines, new furniture, pretty place settings, top of the line hair dryers - these are all material things.

My mom has been trying to get me out of the material world for a loooong time now. She hasn't succeeded. Because I'm a girl that likes stuff, I always will. But, in the past few years it has become apparent to me what really matters in this life - and it's not anything you can buy. It's never at a Macy's "One Day Sale" or at Saks "Buy Some Get Some" event. I can't find it on Etsy.It's the simple things. The things that often get overlooked or taken advantage of.I walk in my neighborhood every night. As I was wlking last night I started thinking of all the simple things in my life that I would miss if they were gone, so I decided to make a little list and then give y'all a challenge.

Here are my "simple things":

*How excited my dog is when I get home from work. I swear, if anyone was half as excited to see me as Ida Claire is when I get home from work I would be so flattered. There is nothing like seeing her running around in circles, wagging her tail and jumping around almost begging me to put my stuff down and sit so she can just up in my lap and lick my face. I love it.

*Mornings with my mom. Each morning since I've moved back in with my parents there have been about 20 minutes that my mom and I have where we are the only ones awake in the house. We just talk about whatever is on our minds, sometimes we watch Good Morning America, but we are together and no one else is there. I don't get a lot of that time because my mom is so busy. She works, takes care of two other children, takes care of my daddy's parents and helps her parents so I understand that a lot of times I go on the back burner - although she never makes me feel like it. But if I hadn't moved back, we wouldn't have this time and I cherish it.

*My grandma's junk drawer. It's like a little treasure trove. She has little things in that drawer that are over 80 years old. Buttons, scraps of fabric, all kinds of thread.....I love going over to my grandma's house and getting in that drawer and hearing the stories about where everything came from.

*My daddy's sense of humor. This is something that bugs my sister, but I relish in. My dad is a hilarious person, but not in the "knock knock" joke or stand up comic kind of way. He likes to bug us by calling us little names like "sugarbutt" or "sweet pickle" and sometims he'll call us the wrong names on purpose and then get "fake" mad because we won't answer. He's been doing this since we were little and I love it. It's like a little game. My sister was complaining about it the other night and my momma quickly reminded her that she would miss it if it was gone. And it's the truth.

*Sunday afternoons.I love Sunday afternoons. They are just the best. I could spend all day running errands or lying around the house or shopping or cooking - whatever - but there is just something about Sunday afternoons that seems so safe. Ok, so now for the challenge part. I want you to come up with 5 things that are "simple" to you that you would miss if they were gone. They cannot be material things, they can't be something that you can purchase. You can share them or keep them private, whichever works for you. Just take a litle time today to remember the things that you look at everyday but never actually see.

You know that saying {and the song - couldn't forget you Janet} "The best things in life are free...."I have to agree.