A Spot of Sunshine in a Gray Day

As you know, I once wrote for The Tahlequah Daily Press. Recently, I ran onto this story I did for them many years ago and thought you might enjoy it.

A wise woman once said, “I decided long ago that I would never be wealthy. In fact, I knew that I would never have much money. Instead of worrying about it and thinking of all the happiness I might have missed, I made up my mind to find happiness in little, everyday happenings. Those things don’t depend on wealth and they are all around us. But, you have to look for them, listen for them, and feel them in your heart.”

She was right. Each day has at least one shining moment that brightens even the most tedious times. Sometimes it is almost missed, like the flash of a diamond in the darkness; but, it is there, if you look for it.

When winter returned and gripped early flowers in an icy embrace, it seemed to freeze even the hope of spring. But, in the stillness of a frozen morning, a redbird reaffirmed his belief that this was only a temporary setback and the Japonica blossoms, bright inside their invisible prison, could not have been more beautiful had they been encased in crystal.

A friend’s father invited her and his granddaughter to go along on a trip to Iowa. This was not a vacation, but a simple drive to buy a piece of farm machinery. However, the three reminisced, joked, and thoroughly enjoyed the hours together. Several years later, she still remembers when her dad said, “You know, I’ve made lots of trips but I’ve never enjoyed any as much as I have this one with you two.”

To a teacher, that golden moment might be heard in the soft voice of a child reading and understanding words that were only a tangled mystery a few months ago.

Barn swallows battling a murderous wind to return to a favorite nesting spot, trees putting out a second set of new leaves after cold nipped the first ones, the voices of tree toads somewhere in the dark, wet woods; these are all reasons for rejoicing.

When money is too scarce for a new Easter dress and last year’s dress still fits, it’s a reason to celebrate. A low tire that waits until you get home to completely deflate, a simple “thank you” for an irksome task, a phone call from a friend just when you need someone to listen; these are all day-brighteners.

A sleepless night that grays into dawn with a robin’s affirmation of the morning, the shine on a floor and the gleam on a table, the coolness of a pillow after a hard day’s work are all magical moments.

The crunch of gravel in the driveway, the scratch of a key in the lock and a teenager saying, “I’m home, Mom”; a smile and a “good morning” when the morning is anything but good, a warm hug when the world seems gray and lifeless–these are treasured times.

Little things, happenings that are held in the heart, occasions that bring a smile, a deep breath of relief or a moment of wonder; they are the substance of happiness, those jewels that can’t be bought but are priceless. They are the sum total of a happy life.

“The bloom on a thistle, a rainbow in a storm;

A small boy’s fearless whistle; these brighten, cheer, and warm.”