Celebrate the Little Things

I have learned that by celebrating the little things in life, I am a much happier person. For instance, Thursday was a great day from beginning to end because I appreciated every little thing that happened to me. It started in the morning when I didn’t have to entertain my puppy Jackson. Normally, I work from home on Thursdays and he stays with me but I had a party to go to in the afternoon so I dropped him off at doggy daycare. Yay me! I didn’t have to worry about him running away when I let him out or jumping on me when he got overexcited or digging holes in the lawn when I tied him up outside. Unlike most Thursdays, I was free. I dropped him off at 8:00 in the morning, went back home and knew I would have a quiet night because he would be exhausted when I picked him up at 5:00.

At 11:15, I left the comfort of my own home and headed to my boss’ house where he was having a staff appreciation party. One of my co-workers had told me that my boss’ road was very narrow and it would be difficult to park so I had a lot of anxiety on the way there but when I arrived, there was a perfect spot to park right in front of his house. Then, I realized as I walked from my car toward the driveway that I had to walk down a pretty steep hill to get to the house. I was blessed to make it down to the flat part of his driveway all by myself but then I realized there weren’t any chairs set up. Everyone was standing around outside eating, drinking and talking. This could have made for an epic fail since my legs don’t hold me up for very long. Luckily, one of the caterers at the party saw me struggling and asked me if I needed a chair. I said, “Yes please. Thank you so much.” Once I was in the chair, it was much easier for me to participate in the party. I even had co-workers waiting on me so I didn’t have to get up and walk all the way over to the food. It was a great afternoon. At the end of the party, I managed to walk up the inclined driveway all by myself and head home.

When I got to my house, I still had an hour before I had to go pick up the puppy. That’s when I sat down and started writing this blog. I realized that I was smiling from ear to ear; I had truly appreciated all of the little things that happened to me that day. I wondered if it was easier for me to celebrate these little wins because I wasn’t moving as fast as other people. Having MS, it’s challenging for me to “Keep up with the Joneses” when I have issues taking care of the basic routine things every day. It seems like no one truly appreciates these small things anymore because they are always looking for more. Although MS has slowed me down, I am grateful that it has also given me a sense of appreciation and accomplishment.