Little Things Day 8 | 101 Little Things to be Happy About

Meet my grandparents, Gran and Poppy. They just over the hill from me until I moved away for college, and their door was always open. When I was young, Gran would read me books on their couch in the den or we’d play hide-and-seek where the only off-limits place was their basement, where I didn’t want to go anyway. And Poppy would feed me Fig Newtons from the metal breadbox on the counter, slipping me an extra with a wink so I wouldn’t tell. And we’d take our Newtons to the small, stone gold fish pond to watch the fish when they’d come out of their brick houses.

I tell you this not so you can know what kind of grandparents I had and not to mark yesterday’s Grandparent’s Day. But I want you to know that Gran and Poppy knew to be happy about the little things. It was the way those gold fish would come to the surface with wide mouths and eyes that made Poppy laugh. And Gran was always smiling when I found her between the love seat and the wall where she hid half the time. They didn’t feel the struggle to be happy in the little things in life, they just were. And that’s amazing. This photo, of them young, in love, and surrounded by amazing, shows it.

So, in Gran and Poppy’s honor, I give you this master list.

101 Little Things to be Happy About

1. A really great cup of coffee, just how you like it
2. Unexpected phone calls from your favorite person
3. A handwritten letter in the mail
4. Sunshine while it’s raining
5. Toddler giggles
6. Birds singing first thing in the morning
7. Curling up with a good book and a cup of tea (or glass of wine)
8. Girls night out
9. Drizzle castles at the beach
10. Daffodils
11. Breakfast in bed
12. Sunrise
13. Holding Hands
14. The perfect outfit
15. The right song on the radio at just the right time
16. Light traffic during rush hour
17. Sleeping late
18. Date night
19. Movie popcorn
20. Hot showers
21. Smiles from a stranger
22. Having the exact change
23. School supplies
24. Having the entire row of seats to yourself on the flight
25. Going barefoot
26. Splashing in puddles
27. Blue skies and puffy white clouds
28. Fast internet
29. Shoes on sale
30. Fireflies in the summertime
31. Rockstar parking
32. Good hair days
33. Clean sheets
34. Afternoon naps
35. The smell of fresh cut grass
36. Waking up on your own without an alarm
37. Dance parties
38. Unexpected hugs
39. Random acts of kindness
40. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
41. Picnics in the park
42. Belly laughs
43. A purring cat in your lap
44. Around the thigh hugs from your kids, just because
45. Fall leaves
46. Rain boots
47. Playing pretend
48. Winning at Monopoly (or Scrabble)
49. Rainbows
50. Ocean waves.
51. Road trips.
52. Singing in the car. Really loud.
53. Finding money in your pocket
54. Comfortable shoes
55. Childhood memories
56. Clothes that are right out of the dryer
57. Ice cream sundaes
58. A clean desk
59. The perfect seashell
60. Puppy kisses
61. Fresh-cut flowers in your house
62. Finishing your to-do list
63. S’mores and a bon fire
64. The way a library smells
65. A walk in the sunshine
66. Payday
67. New friends
68. When your kids draw you pictures
69. Bubble baths
70. The way Snoopy dances
71. Thunder
72. The smell in the air after a rain storm
73. Cookies from the oven
74. Watermelon in the summer
75. Dangling your feet in the pool, lake, ocean
76. Bubble wrap
77. The cool side of the pillow
78. Peace and quiet
79. Discovering a new and amazing recipe
80. The smell of fresh-baked bread
81. Warm blankets
82. A pedicure and the perfect color
83. Surprise parties
84. Inside jokes
85. Sharing secrets
86. Being home alone
87. Breakfast for dinner
88. Thick and clean bath towels
89. Firm handshakes
90. Chocolate
91. Hot yoga
92. Licking the spoon when you’re baking
93. Blowing bubbles
94. Back scratches
95. People watching
96. Skinny dipping
97. Free wi-fi
98. When Starbucks knows your “usual”
99. Sand between your toes
100. Kids sitting in your lap
101. The smell of the ocean

Did I miss anything? What are the little things that make you happy?