It’s true that oftentimes the smallest things in life bring us the most joy. I think that our society is so focused on the big milestones in life that we skip over the little ones. Without the little bits of happiness that make up our day to days, life would be beyond boring. We would just be sitting around waiting for something to happen. The little moments are the ones to hold onto, because looking back, they can even be more memorable than the big ones.
Here are a few small things that have made me happy recently.
My team held an exhibition to celebrate the beginning of the competition season. It was a ton of fun to spend the day with my friends, getting to wear our new dresses, performing the programs that we’ve been working on endlessly for our friends and family. The best part was sitting down with them afterwards and getting to hear their thoughts. Being able to share something that brings me so much joy with the people most important to me is incomparable. I loved it. The exhibition itself wasn’t anything huge or special, but it meant a lot to me.
My friend bought me Starbucks because I went to the rink to practice with her. It was her way of showing some love and appreciation. She didn’t need to do anything special for me, but she knew that I wasn’t planning on leaving the house until much later and decided to do something nice for me. Friends are the best at making you feel special and loved in the smallest of ways, and I’m so grateful to know people like that in my life and be lucky enough to consider them my closest friends.
An artist I love released a new single. Ahead of his album being released, Louis Tomlinson released a new song ”Silver Tongues” and I love it. It gave me something to look forward to and distract myself from other stressors in my life. It also came out at 8 am in Chicago, meaning I started my day off on a great note. If you’re a fan of Brit-pop, and artists like Oasis and Arctic Monkeys, I definitely recommend it.
My teammates and I decided to get together somewhere that isn’t the rink and went out to dinner. It was really fun to be together and not have to worry about practicing or skating at all. It’s easy to forget all that you have in common with each other outside of your sport when it’s all you do together. It took some planning, trying to find (and agree on) places that could accommodate twenty people, but it was so worth it and so much fun. My teammates are my best friends and spending time with them is a gift.
I got to sleep in on Tuesday. I’m sure many can relate with me when I say I don’t get enough sleep. Between school on the weekdays and skating practices on the weekends, I can’t remember the last time I got the opportunity to sleep past 6:30. I felt pure bliss turning off all of my alarms Monday night knowing there was no need to be up in the morning. I got such a good night of sleep, it just about made my week. It was a great reset and I needed it. It made me extremely happy.
None of the things I’ve mentioned were huge, life-changing events or acts, but I can’t see myself forgetting them. They all brought happiness in a way that the big things sometimes cannot. I think it would be best for us if we stopped putting tons of pressure and expectations on the big moments in our lives and instead focused on the little ones and the emotions that come with those. They are so important, even if they don’t seem like it at the time. Find those moments in your life and remember them, it’s worth it.
Hi Abbi. I loved your post! It was definitely a good reminder to focus on the things that make us happy and bring us joy. I feel like we are all so busy and stressed that we tend to move too quickly to appreciate the little things in life. It is awesome that you were able to have so much quality time with your teammates recently. Like you said, even when you see a teammate so often, it is easy to forget at times how much fun it is to relax and have fun with them outside of an athletic setting. Also, the picture of you skating at the beginning of your post is incredible! I am definitely jealous that you got to sleep in on Tuesday. There is nothing better than going to bed knowing that you can sleep as long as you want without having to wake up to the grating sound of an alarm clock. I definitely get what you mean when you said that you haven’t gotten many opportunities recently to sleep in. Hopefully, with thanksgiving break coming up, we can all take a little time to rest and sleep in! Thank you for reminding me to slow down a little and appreciate the good around me!
Hi Abbi! This is such an amazing post!! I love that you wrote about the importance of small things in life. I really admire that you have a group of friends/teammates that you are close towards, and work with. I agree so much with your idea that little things in life are sometimes more important than big moments. The happiest times I have had were never when something big happened. I don’t really remember big moments but I really have a lot of smaller ones. I love little things in life which make my day and bring me happiness. I am happy everyday to see friends and teachers. One friend in particular during the first period is one I love the most. Seeing her everyday and having her say good morning to me back was such an important thing to me, even if it was a small act of kindness or just good manners. I really feel related to you and learned more about you with your blog, and I felt so heartwarming after I read your blog having flashbacks on every small thing I remember that made me happy. It was such a lovely blog, and I hope you are always happy about the little things in life!
Abbi- I love this. And you are so right, the small things in life are rarely as apprciated to the level that they should be. Its those certain small interactions with people that make my day and that I really remember, and I am sure it is the same for you. I especially liked the friend buying you Starbucks, it really does seem so small, but its such a thoughtful and kind gesture, one that she didnt have to do, which makes it even sweeter. One small event that impacted me a lot was when I was getting my polio booster, and the nurse asked me about college, to which I told her that I was stressed and unsure of what I wanted to do. She told me about her 4 kids and how she knows the feeling, really talked to me and comforted me, and told me to take my time. It helped me more than she will ever know, she went into so much depth when she could have given me a curt answer, she showed that she really did care. Sorry for going off on such a tangent, but really, your post has reminded me of all of these little amazing moments in life, our interactions with seemingly random peopple, and how valuable they are. Thank you for sharing this! (Also I think your skating is so cool, figure skating is so impressive.)