Life' Simple Pleasures

When I was really young, I use to read the horoscopes with my Grandma. My birthday falls right on the cutoff of being either a Libra or a Scorpio. I was young and did not understand horoscopes, and depending upon which one I read depended upon if I was a “Scorpio” or a “Libra.” My Grandma explained to me that I was a Scorpio because I enjoy the simple things in life. That moment has always stuck with me and whenever I find myself getting caught up in one of “life’s simple pleasures,” I always think of her and how right she was. The following are some of the things in life that I consider to be simple pleasures in life...and the best part: they are free!

1. Fall colors. I really just love this season for a few reasons. It is my birthday. It is beautiful. And National FFA Convention falls during this time. I also love the anticipation of school starting again.
2. Finding money in your pocket. I know that technically I had the money all along, but it makes me feel like I am $20 richer or $5 richer. Maybe even $1 richer. No matter how much it is, I love finding it.
3. Having someone tell you they love you. I just love hearing those words because who does not want to be loved? Plus, this one is self-explanatory.
4. Getting a hug from someone you have not seen for a while. It is a pretty cool feeling to get a hug from someone you have not seen in over a month.
5. Using a towel fresh from the dryer after a shower. When I was younger my mom use to do this for me all the time. It is one of those feelings that bring back childhood memories.
6. Being mischievous. I’ll let you think what you want with this. I like getting into some trouble every now and then. And believe it or not, I have done some crazy things before.
7. Walking barefoot on the beach in the surf. It just feels so free. And it is another one of those things I did a lot when I was younger so it makes me feel like a kid again.
8. Music that has a violin in it. This one is kind of odd, but I love when rock music especially has a violin used as an instrument. It just adds a lot to it for me. Plus I’m a big fan of Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
9. Being naked. Take this one as you like.
10. Waking up to the sound of rain. I have always found rain to be very relaxing, and it is a great way to start a day off…especially if I happen to be running late because it relaxes me right away.
11. Sleeping in. Sleeping has to be one of my favorite past times. I need my sleep so I love those random mornings when I do not have to set my alarm.
12. Hearing a song you love. Have you ever been driving somewhere, maybe to work or to go out with friends and a song that you love comes on? It instantly puts you in a good mood and most of the time with me, it makes the day that much better for me.
13. Pulling through to a parking spot. I know this one is weird, but I love when I am going to park and when I turn into a spot I find that the one in front of it is open and I get to pull right through. Maybe that is just because I hate backing up.
14. The feeling you get when you rocked something you put a lot of work into. This is something I have come to enjoy during this last year serving as a state FFA officer. I loved the feeling of heading back to my seat after a banquet speech with the feeling like I had really left an impression and impact on the audience.
15. Laughing. Who does not love laughing?
16. Having a good workout. I love those workouts that seem to just be better than the one the day before.
17. Smiling. It just makes you feel that much better and puts you in a better mood. I also love when someone smiles at me.
18. Not hitting a red light on your way to work. Let’s face it; no one likes to be delayed when traveling from point A to point B. I do not have to travel through a ton of traffic lights on my way to work, but that days that they are green when I arrive at them really stand out to me.
19. A gorgeous view. I live out in the country and I always love those nights where it seems like I am witnessing the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. Nature and the outdoors are so beautiful.
20. Waking up and realizing you have two hours left to sleep. I am not normally one to wake up before my alarm, but when I do wake up, I love to discover that I still have two hours left to sleep.
21. Feeling clean. This is usually something I appreciate a lot more when I am coming in the house from doing chores or from a workout. I just love the feeling of being clean after being sweaty.
22. The smell of home. Have you ever walked into a friend’s house and noticed a very distinct smell? Well, I have come to the conclusion that our homes all smell a certain way but we do not tend to notice ours unless we have been gone for a while. It is comforting to come home and know that you are home just based off of the smell.
23. Getting an actual handwritten letter in the mail. This is something that always means so much to me because I know that whoever wrote it took the time to sit down and put thought into a letter for me. It does not seem to happen too often, but my day is always made when it does.

I am sure I will make another list of simple pleasures in life, but for now, these are the things I love and enjoy. Hopefully you can relate to some of them.