Happy Surprises: Being Ready To Receive Joy In Any Given Moment #thTHX

A week ago today I was putting my lunch together in a quiet house while the other five members of my family were upstairs in bed. It was one of those not so easy mornings during which I was thinking about how nice it would have been to see my kids before heading out. I’m always fine a few miles down the road; leaving is the hardest part. I was deep in thought when I heard a noise.

I identified the noise relatively quickly because it’s one that I hear relatively frequently. It was the child safety gate at the top of the stairs being unlatched and opened. Ironic, we have a child safety gate at the top of our stairs that each one of our three mobile children can unlatch and open. It does help when they’re wrestling at the top the stairs, and possibly more importantly, it makes my wife and I feel like our children are safer than they would be if we didn’t have it.

Anyway, I heard the gate open. Next I heard the pitter pat of a kid’s little feet on the runner of the stairs. Before long I saw the smiling face of my five-year-old and my heart leapt. What a happy surprise! I wasn’t concerned that he was awake too early, I wasn’t concerned that I might get off a few minutes later than usual, I was simply filled with happiness because I would get to spend some bonus time with one of my favorite people.

When we saw each other we smiled and hugged. I told him how happy I was that I got to spend a few minutes with him before leaving that day. We worked together to prepare his “usual” breakfast, and then I helped him carry it upstairs for a breakfast in bed with his mama and baby brother.

I’ve heard situations like this referred to as the “little things.” People say we should appreciate the “little things,” which are small moments of joy like this one, daily occurrences that would otherwise be missed if not intentionally looked out for. But I say that these small moments are the “big things.” I truly can’t articulate how big those ten to fifteen minutes with my son were on that morning. Those minutes filled me with delight and fueled me. I say, be ready for them, notice them, and appreciate them. I’m truly blessed and I’m deeply grateful for the blessings in my life.

What “big things” are you experiencing right now? What “big things” do you have to look forward to each day? Join the weekly global gratitude movement tomorrow by tweeting about your “big moments” using #thTHX all day long. Here’s to another wonderful Thankful Thursday…may yours be filled with blessings, with peace, and with joy!

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