Small Things

Family, friends and health are commonly cited as being important to a good life and I can’t disagree. After acknowledging those great and necessary things, what of the small pleasures that put smiles on our faces. When you get up in the morning and step into the shower this is undeniably a small pleasure. I do not know who invented the shower but he/she have my thanks. The utility of this device astounds, it provides pain relief. You can have a warm shower on a cold day, a cold shower after a long run. Following the morning theme we come to shaving, in two parts the act and the tools. I can say that shaving is worth the five minutes it takes to accomplish. What you get in return for the effort is a smooth clean look. It is not by accident that on male makeover segments that the first thing they do is shave the face hair. I have a sneaking suspicion that the exfoliation resulting from this exercise keeps a man looking younger. It is to the razor that I direct my praise. Specifically the first shave with the new blade. That first stroke with a fresh blade is close to perfect. The new blade slides over the features of your face without hesitation. You suffer no pulling, cutting or any of the ills effects of a dull blade. As you know each successive use dulls imperceptibly the edge of the razor, making each shave less a pleasure and more a burden.
There is a fresh cup of coffee in the morning taken on the porch. Like wise a beer late in the day from the same vantages point. A relaxing moment before the start of the day and at its end.
The list of small pleasures and tiny victories is long from the ending of a good book or a bad day. Getting to the top of a hill ,a victory and taking in the view ,a small pleasure.
Our lives are made up of these seemingly trivial but altogether indispensable acts and actions. Between the large events that mark the moments of change are the small things that link the whole together. Could you imagine a life where every decision you made or action you took were of material importance. We are far luckier than our ancestors. Lucky that our every move does not mean life or death. Lucky that we have space in our existence for things that but a smile on our faces