Thursday, November 16, 2017

Little Things

A new shower curtain rod and butterfly clips make me oddly happy.

It might seem strange to wax poetic over something so small as a new shower curtain rod, especially after the great blessing of having a long-awaited metal roof put on my house just eight days ago (for which I am more grateful than words can express). Yet, I think that's one of the beautiful things about human nature. Our ability to find fun in the smallest things is there to make life meaningful on a daily basis, if we take a moment to look for those simple joys.

Yesterday, while Mark was cleaning the bathrooms (his only weekly indoor chore, because toilets make me gag), I told him to throw away the old shower curtain liner and take down the shower curtain so I could put it in the wash. At the same time, I noted the increasing rust on the old curtain rod, the same one that was in the bathroom when we bought the house twenty-four years ago. Later that afternoon, while we were out running errands (I got a $203 refund on leftover roofing materials, hooray!), we stopped by Walmart to buy a new shower curtain liner. That's when I noticed a stack of curved shower curtain rods nearby.

In the past, whenever we've stayed at a hotel or resort with curved shower curtain rods, I've always thought that someday I'd get one for my home. I love how it holds the curtain away from your body, because I hate hitting the wet curtain with my arm or hip while showering. It's one of those things that creeps out my OCD and makes me feel less clean somehow.

So, although it was more pricey than a straight rod, I put the curved rod in my cart. Then, as we wandered on down the bathroom goods aisle, I saw a box of butterfly shower curtain clips. Okay, I admit there was nothing wrong with our clunky, old, round, pink clips (other than being a bear to snap open and closed). But, hey, as long as I was making changes...my five-year-old shower curtain is still in great shape and has butterflies on it.

I'm sure that watching Mark and me trying to figure out the instructions on the rod and then install it would have been like watching a Three Stooges comedy. Eventually, though, it was up and seemingly solidly in place. And the butterfly clips were so much easier to use than the old pink ones. What can I say? I love it. I almost look for excuses to walk in the bathroom (is it too soon to comb my hair again?) just so I can enjoy looking at it.

Oh, I know that a few months from now I'll barely even notice the new rod and clips. A year from now, I'll also be so used to the new roof that I no longer pause to admire it each time I pull into my driveway. That's another aspect of human nature. We tend to take for granted that which is there everyday.

And so the challenge is to keep our eyes open and our senses attuned to simple joys, to cultivate a continuous feeling of Thanksgiving that makes us aware of our multitudinous blessings, the greatest of which cannot be purchased at Walmart. The love of family and friends, for instance. The kindness and charity of those who are willing to serve selflessly. Inner strength and humor and resilience to face life's challenges. The satisfaction of honest work and accomplishment, a job well done. The beauty of the natural world and the privilege to live in freedom. A good night's sleep. A quiet moment of calm. A baby's laughter. A big bear hug.

And, above all, the tender mercies of a Heavenly Father who loves His children and a Savior who gave Himself to redeem us all.

May our lives continue to be richly blessed, and may we all have clarity to recognize the little joys that surround us, just waiting to be acknowledged. Happy Thanksgiving!


Not to focus too much on material blessings, but I wanted to share this fun timepiece. So far, I haven't gotten so used to this clock that I no longer notice it, even though I've had it for five months now. My dad and step-mom have a similar clock, which plays songs by the Beatles on the hour, and I've always admired it. When I decided to use my stipend for hosting a student teacher in my classroom (last spring) to splurge for something I'd always wanted, I chose this. It plays six different classical pieces on the hour. With the flick of a switch, it will play six Christmas songs instead. The kids and I are excited to finally flip the switch on Thanksgiving, because none of us have heard the Christmas songs yet. One more week!

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