It's the Little Things

Today is the day that the new Halo game comes out. This might not mean much to some of you but to my fiance it means a great deal. He's been like a little kid at Christmas this past week, waiting for this game to come out. It's very sweet. And it makes me realize that sometimes it's the little things in life that truly make us happy.

What do I mean? Well, some people think that they need big things to make them happy. "I will be happier if only . . . I had a new job, a new husband, a new house, etc." I admit, I have been one of these people in the past (I probably still do it from time to time). But why these "big" things can make people happy, it's only a temporary happiness. It's like buying new clothes or a new purse or getting a new haircut. There's a technical term for this but I don't remember what it is. The truth is, however, that it's not the big things but the little things that matter most in life and can add to your long-term happiness.

This past Sunday was spent working in our front yard. The house that we live in belonged to my fiance's maternal grandparents. I understand that they took great care of the yard when they lived here but it's been abandoned for many years and the yard has fallen into neglect. Leaves from our abundant neighborhood trees killed the grass, allowing weeds and poison ivy to grow instead. The decorative ivy that connects the two tiers of the yard took over everything, especially the steps from the street to the house. Getting the yard back into shape has been a struggle and we still have much to do, but we've come so far too! The stairs from the street to the upper tier of the yard have now been cleared of ivy. There's only the section of the sidewalk leading to the house on the upper tier that needs done. Trees have been trimmed and leaves have been blown. Azaleas have been trimmed (and some have been taken out completely). It may not seem like much but it has already made such a difference in the appearance of the front yard.

It's the little things, you see. Yes, in the long run this yard will be beautiful and grassy and kept in constant care with fixed fences and blooming peonies. This is a big goal and small steps need to be taken to achieve it. Every little accomplishment, no matter how tiny it might seem, is still an accomplishment, it's still a step that's now been completed to lead to the bigger goal. Yards are no easy work by any means, regardless of what shape they're in, but think of the happiness that can be found by growing your own vegetables and smelling your own flowers.

The little things are the best things. Coming home to excited puppies. My fiance coming home from work. Supper with family. Playing Cranium with friends. Standing in the yard surrounded by beautiful trees blazing in red and gold and watching the leaves fall, gently blown down from the passing breeze. Autumn is passing, and soon the little joys of winter will be ours.