[dsenette]

In today's world, we often lose sight of the things that actually make us happy. We get too caught up in our quest to get money and possessions and all the other stresses of our daily life and forget to "stop and smell the roses"

what "little thing" has made you happy recently?


this past weekend...someone in my apartment complex was cooking a pot roast...when i went out to walk my dog, i had to walk down the hall smelling the pot roast cooking. i could smell the potatoes and carrots and all the other wonderful things in the pot hidden behind some apartment door, and all i could think of were the summers i used to spend at my grandparent's home out in the swamp. my grandma would always spend the majority of her mornings cooking up wonderful food for us to eat the rest of the day and her pot roast was always one of my favorites. Nothing fancy, just a roast with potatoes, carrots, peas, and that wonderful brown gravy. as soon as the roast left the oven i'd be swooping through the kitchen like some carnivorous ninja sneaking peices of roast while she wasn't looking. since i'm no longer in louisiana i don't get to spend as much time with my grandparents as i used to, so these little smells and memories mean alot to me when i can get them

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What a perfect thread, getting caught up in the rat race is brutal. Im finishing up a long and stressful divorce with my ex that I have a 17 month old son with. I devote all my time that I have with him for just him and I. No matter what goes on during the day when he stays with me after dinner and a bath, I take the time to sit down with him and talk to him, read, hug, or just lay down together and watch Spongebob. Either way its our time to relax together before bed.

Well usually during this time if he is laying down on his back I will take my hand and raise it above him with my index finger pointing down and make a whistling sound like a missile and slowly bring my finger towards him, then right before his belly I will make an exploding noise and tickly his tummy, leg, or side, or wherever but he just breaks out laughing so hard and sits there so I keep doing it.

Well the other night I was laying on the floor and he comes running over to me and puts his hand up like I do and makes a whistling noise then grabs my belly to tickle me and breaks out laughing, and I couldnt believe that he did that, it was perfect and I was laughing and so was he. So he continues to do it a couple more times then stands up and gives me a hug and puts his head on my chest and lets out a loud exhale and closes his eyes.

As he does this I start crying a little bit and hug him back, and for that moment I forgot everything, it was only him and I and moments like that really stick with me. It was just that little gesture that was the best feeling I have had in a long time. It truly was a small thing that has days later still made me feel great.

[jaxisland]

What a perfect thread, getting caught up in the rat race is brutal. Im finishing up a long and stressful divorce with my ex that I have a 17 month old son with. I devote all my time that I have with him for just him and I. No matter what goes on during the day when he stays with me after dinner and a bath, I take the time to sit down with him and talk to him, read, hug, or just lay down together and watch Spongebob. Either way its our time to relax together before bed.

Well usually during this time if he is laying down on his back I will take my hand and raise it above him with my index finger pointing down and make a whistling sound like a missile and slowly bring my finger towards him, then right before his belly I will make an exploding noise and tickly his tummy, leg, or side, or wherever but he just breaks out laughing so hard and sits there so I keep doing it.

Well the other night I was laying on the floor and he comes running over to me and puts his hand up like I do and makes a whistling noise then grabs my belly to tickle me and breaks out laughing, and I couldnt believe that he did that, it was perfect and I was laughing and so was he. So he continues to do it a couple more times then stands up and gives me a hug and puts his head on my chest and lets out a loud exhale and closes his eyes.

As he does this I start crying a little bit and hug him back, and for that moment I forgot everything, it was only him and I and moments like that really stick with me. It was just that little gesture that was the best feeling I have had in a long time. It truly was a small thing that has days later still made me feel great.

[sari]

Well, mine revolves around family also. My 15 year old daughter, who had been struggling with a lot of issues, has made some real progress lately and is really part of our family again. That means she joins us to watch tv, and tells me she loves me before she goes to bed, and is generally once again the sweet and happy child she used to be, with an added touch of maturity. On Saturday, which was a beautiful fall day, she offered to go with me when I took our dog for a hike in the woods. We had a really pleasant time talking about all sorts of stuff, and she seemed to enjoy herself. It was only 40 minutes out of the day, but it meant the world to me.

[zorba the geek]

My dad (lives in germany)is staying with us for a holiday.Yesterday
we went fishing down by the sea.Seeing 4generations sitting side by side
(my father,myself,my son and my grandson)fishing,i felt great.But when
i saw the tear in my fathers eyes and the happyness he felt,that's a moment, i’ll
never forget.

[frantique]

Mine would be the smell of daphne (which is flowering here now). It reminds me of my Mum. She loved it and tried desperately to grow it for years and it always died. Then she had a plant that was very small and didn't flower much, though didn't die. My father was an extremely dominating man and repressed my mother. Just after he died (about 30 years ago) her daphne plant suddenly took off and became a large shrub and always flowered profusely. (And so did my Mum). I once rented a house even before I saw the inside because I smelled daphne in the yard (it turned out to be a great home for our family).

Edit: *Frantique thanks the Monkey for this beautiful thread

Edited by frantique, 02 October 2007 - 12:12 AM.

[zorba the geek]

Edit: *Frantique thanks the Monkey for this beautiful thread

dsenette,You've blown your cover!!!The monkey who likes to poke fun at people,driving sari up the wall,his other antics to numerus to mention but we all have expirienced at one time or the other,is realy a human being and a wise one at that.With a thread like that,your reputation is damaged,your sarcassm has lost its sting.It made me stop and smell the flowers.Thanks from me to!

[Troy]

I was on my way to work the other day, there were hundreds of butterflies in the air, they were just everywhere. I don't know how it happened, but it just caught my attention. I pulled over, and sat there watching them. My mind was a million miles away, and it was really cool. I was happy. And I was late for work...

Edited by troy, 10 November 2007 - 04:56 PM.

[BHowett]

what "little thing" has made you happy recently?

Last weekend I took my dog Katie to the beach and spent a few hours throwing the ball for her in the ocean. Let me tell you there is nothing better to relieve stress then just hanging out at the beach for a couple of days with no worries letting your Labrador retriever do so retrieving in the ocean.


Sorry no pictures of her at the ocean….but here is a look at my chocolate love

[Chopin]

Cute

[zorba the geek]

[attachment=16019:DSC00233.JPG]I totaly agree

[Tal]

Awww I just love them

/methinks that if it had already turned into some kind of a pet thread, I'll show my 'little' pet

He's much bigger now, this pic is 1.5 years old



He's an amazing dog!

Here's another one: http://img139.images...18619001sq8.jpg

Edited by landlord, 07 October 2007 - 07:24 AM.

[**Brian**]

I believe the thing that makes me the happiest is when I can spend time with my family. The most important moments are those that you can spend together as a family. I love to spend time with my Dad and my stepmom and my brothers as much as I can, because these are the special times. When I go to my dad's I feel more relaxed and at ease, then if I were to go to my moms sometimes. Dad and I used to spend time camping, fishing, or visiting relatives, and I used to help my Grampa around the sign shop, and let me tell you, there were times I would be quite dirty, and that was a blast.

As I get older, I realize that life can be mundane and ordinary, ao I have to switch it up some. I like to get away from home sometimes, and this helps me to realize that as you age, the most important thing is to say I LOVE YOU every day - because you may not have a chance to say it someday. I don't really know if there are tricks to use to make it easier to deal with arguing parents about holidays, but every year it seems that I have to deal with this and it may make my parents mad - I love them both, and I don't want to hurt them, but I guess it is something that I have to figure out.

I used to read to my younger cousin and my niece, and then she would fall asleep on my lap - and then when she would see me, she would hug me, and say she loved me I guess that I am just an old softie - I love kids hehehe I always try to set the best example for my nephews and nieces, although sometimes I wonder if my brother sets the best example sometimes......

In short, the best times are those when you can spend time with your family and remember some part of your past, and use it to move forward to the future. On Oct. 3, 2007, My brother Ricky would have been 38 - He died in 1979, but some of the best memories I have of him are those where he was smiling or laughing or making happy noises - It is times like this that help me to realize that the best times in life are the little things, and love is a big part of it. I am very fortunate to have such a large family that loves me, and while I have lost my Grandmothers I have a bunch of fond memories of them forever!!

Remember - Love can build a Bridge that is unbreakable - and it spans the test of time Aleays tell your significant other that you love him/her Every day!!

Brian

[Troy]

I think dogs are definitely awesome animals who make us stop and think about the "little things", definitely in line with this thread... Just beautiful...

[keithr128]

I took the day off from work today to walk my son to school, and on the way he told me that he loves when I walk him to school.
Even though I won't be paid for the day just hearing him say that made it worth it.