Simple Joys

Simple joys have a simple voice:
It says why not go ahead?
Wouldn't you rather be a left-handed flea
A crab on a slab at the bottom of the sea...
-Pippin, the Musical

I was driving home from work today (that's where I do much of my thinking recently...there's nothing like traffic to help with philosophy), and I noticed something that was so simple and sweet, and made me smile. I started to think about the simple joys in life, little things that make me smile and give me a warm feeling inside. It's like singing about favorite things - it just makes you feel content with the world at large.

So here's my list. What's yours?

1. The inspiration for this post: Two people in the car behind me were singing together to their radio. I couldn't hear them, but I saw them in my rearview mirror, and they were just sharing a moment together. I almost felt like I was intruding to watch them, but seeing happy people like that makes me happy.

2. Music. It calms the nerves, soothes the soul...I once wrote a post on it (or started to? I don't remember). But there's something amazing about the power of music. And it gives me a simple joy.

3. Blue skies. After a week of pouring rain, blue skies are like an apology for the bad weather. And they make everything okay (for me, at least).

4. Blossoming things. My sister has this rubber plant that's been just doing nothing for years. It had leaves, but never grew any more, and just kinda sat there forever. Last week, I noticed a new leaf. It was a different color than the other leaves, a lighter green, but it was so fresh and new - a sign of new life. Nature has a wonderful beauty that man-made things can never capture. 'מה רבו מעשיך ה

5. Baking. Baking is one of my personal simple joys. I'm not like my sister, who goes to the mall to de-stress (in fact, the mall usually stresses me out). I guess I'm a good Jewish woman, 'cause I love making food for other people. And it de-stresses me. (It also probably explains the phenomenon as to why my body build is so different from my sister's :) ).
Tonight: Blondies, Baby Ruth Bars, and choco chip cookies.

6. My family. Baruch Hashem, they're absolutely awesome. And I'm gonna miss them sooooo much. (Why am I moving away again? Do I really have to? And to....there?)

7. The fact that my friends worry so much about me. They really shouldn't, 'cause by worrying, they sometimes create problems that don't exist, but it shows that they care about me. And we all need to know that we're cared about.

8. An exceptionally beautiful turn of phrase. I can't express my feelings in words, and so I'm amazed by those who can touch people in any way (for good, but bad also, unfortunately) through their words. An addendum to this is people who are not afraid to say when they feel spontaneous (good) emotions.

9. Kindred spirits (of course ;) )

Kindred Spirit

How would you define a kindred spirit?

(And, for extra points - but not to replace an answer - where is the term from? It could be more than one place, but there's one specific...and Stx, you're not allowed to answer the E.C. question until 5 people answer ;) )

TRW's Theory of Relativity

If A = bad, and B = 2a, and C = 2b and so on, then after an abundance of Z, A starts looking pretty good.

Contentment

I learned a lesson from my כלה מיידל tonight. Four days before her wedding, IY"H, with stress piling up, and everyone asking her in that worried voice "are you okay?", she provided an answer that was so simple and possibly cliche, but showed me a lot.

"Why should I be worried? I know I made the right choice, and what else should I be worried about?"

Now, in all honesty, there are things to worry about, and she is worrying about them. But the concept of Bridezilla never occurred to her. That she could be obnoxious and demanding, and everyone would do what she wanted anyway, excusing it because "well, she is getting married next week..." did not even cross her mind (maybe it did, but she's doing a pretty good job not showing it!). She's being sweet, caring, and considerate. And if she can be this way at this time, what right have I to be anything but, when I have no such stresses to worry about?

I'm proud to call her my friend. And I wish her the bestest of the bestest (even though she probably won't even read this...)

:)