The Beauty of Appreciation

I believe in the little things – the small details that no one seems to notice.

I have always taken notice in the small things, and maybe that is neither a positive nor negative habit.  I am not referring to my tendency to want everything to be organized or my obsession for cleanliness. I am referring to the beauty of the things in life that cannot be savored enough. They cannot be caught in a jar; they must be experienced. After all, if you never stop to smell the roses, how will you know what they smell like?

I get in a rush. I wake up late. I cannot function without my breakfast, and if my hair is not perfect, I might as well call it a day. But starting at a very young age, I began recognizing the beauty of people and places, rather than the ugly, which is what most attention is drawn towards. My mother has always drilled this approach in my mind: “Seek the good in the world. Be the good in the world.” Things like sunsets, the first hints of a new season, laughter, doors held open, naps on Sunday afternoons, and rain showers that send someone to sleep are things that remind me of the good in the world.

These occurrences go unappreciated, but they shine just as bright the next time they come around. They are humble and honest, but not shy. Best of all, they are free. Not only are they available for anyone of any background to enjoy, but they are not bound by rules, restrictions, guidelines, or contracts. They come and go as they might. They are effortless and maybe even more beautiful for that. They carry themselves with a cool confidence that every celebrity and public figures should envy.

My favorite aspect of all these occurrences is the hope they carry. Sunsets and sunrises bring the hope of a new day. Laughter shows the hope in every situation. Doors held open give me hope for humanity. This hope cannot be bought, no matter the offer; they are not for sale. The hope and joy that these events come along with must be found. It does not take much to find these things because they occur every day. We may have to stop texting for a brief moment to take notice. Hope cannot be found on a phone screen, inside a fortune cookie, or even at the bottom of a stack of paperwork. We have to stand still and look around at the beauty that constantly surrounds us and experience it for ourselves.

Life does not have to be perfect to be enjoyable. In fact, we are rarely content with our lives anyways. Why? We are looking for the wrong things in all the wrong places. Look up, look down, and look all around. Beautiful things are everywhere, and what are we doing? We are complaining that the barista did not put enough whipped cream on our double espresso mocha frappuccino. Seek the little things in life while we are still here to enjoy them.