Take Time To Enjoy the Little Things

Sometimes in all the busyness of the season, the littlest of things can bring you joy. For instance, at the party on Saturday, we had a white elephant gift exchange. You may have heard it called Dirty Santa or Yankee Exchange or some other or-so-witty name. The idea is to bring a grab bag gift. When it's your turn, you can either choose a gift to open, or you can choose to take an already opened gift from someone else. Needless to say, the game is quite boring if everyone plays nice and only opens their own gift.

Also probably needless to say, I've felt it my duty in the past, as hostess of the party, to take someone else's gift--merely in order to stir things up and make the game more interesting. I always felt I was only acting in everyone's best interest, but apparently my husband didn't see it that way. This year he reminded me in advance not to take the nicest gift at the party. Like it's my fault that last year I ended up with the ceramic cookie jar shaped like a present. Or like it's my fault the cookie jar was filled with homemade Christmas cookies. Or like it's my fault that no one else took it away from me when it was their turn. He can't remember something I've told him two minutes after I said it, but for an entire year he can remember that I took the cookie jar. There's something so wrong about that.

So in the interest of being the obedient wife, I agreed not to take the nicest present this year. But just before the party started, I took out my cookie jar from last year and made sure it was shined up and displayed prominently in my kitchen. Sometimes the wordless gesture says it all.

Another small thing that brings me joy at this time of year is a visit to the post office. You may dread it, but not I. Perhaps I don't dread it because I have foresight. Perhaps I don't dread it because I plan ahead.

Perhaps I don't dread it because I'm petty.

I had to mail a package today, five days before Christmas. Most people would rather schedule a root canal. I merely went online and printed out my postage label.

Did you know that if your package already has the label and postage on it you don't have to stand in line?

Twenty minutes before the post office closed, I walked through the doors and faced a line of people that stretched across the entire front of the store. With a gentle clearing of my throat I murmured, "Excuse me," and stepped through the line, headed toward the counter.

I could feel eyes boring into my back as I walked directly up to one of the clerks. As her customer stepped away from the counter, I turned my package so she could see the postage label. The clerk reached out and took the box, adding it to the stack behind her.

I turned and headed back toward the door, having to excuse myself again to squeeze through the same two people who were still standing in front of the door.

I was careful not to make eye contact.

Less than two minutes after arriving at the post office, I was headed out of the parking lot again. Unfortunately, the pleasure I felt had little to do with scratching the errand off my list.

It's those little things that give you joy ...