The Little Things

Today during class, we had to take an exam. Once I finished, I sat there for awhile, listening to the sound of the classroom; the ticking of the clock, the random whispers of pages being turned, the muffled footsteps as students turned in their tests.
There is something so comforting about these sounds, sounds that we hear everyday, but don't actually listen to. Without you knowing it, they wrap themselves around you and make you feel secure. They are familiar, like an old friend.
The simple things like the sound of tapping pencils are what bring that comforting joy to life. Maybe for some people, it isn't the classroom sounds, but the honking horns of the city, the soft murmur of the leaves in the country, or the crashing of the ocean.
Sometimes, it is a good thing to just sit back, letting life take you with as an observer, listening to the symphony of life. So just sit back, watch, and listen, because true joy is experiencing the little things.

"A mighty flame followeth a tiny spark." Dante

Chalk Pictures(The Beginning)

Today my brothers and I bought some sidewalk chalk from the Dollar Store on an impulse. As we pulled into the drive, I started thinking about what we could draw and how it had been way to long since I had decorated the sidewalk with chalk. Thinking about the upcoming Earth Day, I decided to draw a sun that had a caption under it. The caption read simply: Smile! I realized that as I was looking at it, I was actually smiling. Feeling the dusty chalk on my fingers reminded me of when I was just a carefree child that laughed at everything and smiled at everyone. I've decided to be that carefree person again, living life to the fullest and bringing joy to other lives. As the sun goes down, the bright yellow seems to glow, reminding me of the light that a simple smile can bring to a dark day, and I am anxious for tomorrow to come so that I might make a difference for someone else.

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves" James Matthew Barrie