What’s on your mind – The Little Things

This week’s journal entry:

What’s currently on your mind? Write the first thing that comes to mind and go with it. Keep writing until you feel you’ve said everything you need to get out.

By Laura Black

            I want to write about little things. To me, it’s always been about the little things. If you’re thinking, little things as in little objects, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about little things, such as certain smells, tastes, emotions, reactions, expressions, places, stories, and memories. They are little moments or happenings that make me happy. They make me happier than any object could ever make me. There are so many, so I will try to list them and explain them further.

            Smells – I love the smell of most things vanilla, lavender, almond, and a lot of sweet or light-scented smells. I love burning candles or essential oils because they give me a sense of relaxation and calm. I also love the smell of my current soap from Lush. I actually look forward to taking a shower just to use the soap.

            Tastes – I love the first taste of my Starbucks drink – Iced soy green tea latte with light ice. The first sip is exhilarating to me. I suck it in and slurp it down with enthusiasm. If I’m alone, I also tend to say, “Ah, that’s good stuff.” I seriously look forward to any time I can purchase this drink; I get excited.

            Emotions – There are many emotions I love. I guess any positive emotion expressed to me is good and makes my day. I love to see others excited to see me or be around me. Smiles are the best! Smiles always make my day.

            Reactions – I love to see positive reactions from anyone, and this connects with emotions. For example, I love to watch someone laugh. I love to see what makes them laugh and how they laugh. It’s different for everyone. Adults have good laughs, but the best laughs come from kids. It always amazes me to see what kids laugh at – what gets them going. I love the big belly laughs where they can’t stop. Those are the best!

            Expressions – This also ties back to emotions and reactions. I love facial expressions. There are so many different facial expressions, and I love to try and figure out someone’s facial expressions to their actual mood. Like I said before, smiles are the best!

Other expressions, to me, are the way people express themselves to others, like hugging. I love hugs – giving and receiving. For me, it’s a sign of expressing the way you feel about someone. Well, that’s how I give my hugs. I want the person I’m hugging to know how I feel about them – care about them, wish them well, love them. It can be different. I do love receiving hugs as well from the ones I love. One of the best hugs I received lately was from my almost-three-year-old nephew. He did the whole running at me, wrapping his arms around me, and squeezing me like he never wanted to let go. It was the best!

            Other expressions that mean a lot to me are kisses from my husband. He kisses me good-bye every morning. If he doesn’t, then I feel like I’m missing something. To me, a kiss from him is a sign of affection and love, so not receiving one, in a way, hurts my feelings. Receiving a kiss from him always makes my day. It doesn’t matter when I receive it, just receiving it is enough.

            Expressing yourself through words is my all-favorite, though. Imagine that – words. I am all about the words. I love when others either express themselves to me in a verbal or written fashion. It means the world to me to hear the simple phrase “I love you” from anyone I love in return. I think it’s so important to make sure and tell the ones you love that you love them. What if you never see them again? They need to know and need to hear it.

            Places – There are certain places I look forward to more than others. Some examples would be: Starbucks or other cafés – the smells, anticipation of my drink, and the atmosphere. There’s always so much going on. A library – books; there are so many books and different places to read such books. Bookstores – again, there are so many books and so much to look at. Most bookstores also have a café, which brings me back to the Starbucks sentence. Certain houses – my own house, of course, as well as my parent’s house, my sister’s house, and my brother’s house. All these houses make me feel at home the minute I walk in.

            My all-time favorite place, though, is a beach. Yes, it would be better if the beach is off an ocean of some sort, but any beach will do. I love taking off my shoes, pushing my feet into the sand, and feeling it move all around me. This is another exhilarating moment for me. It makes me feel so alive, calm, and relaxed. What’s even better is sitting on the beach and taking in the scenery surrounding such beach. The entire atmosphere makes me feel at home like everything is right with the world – my world, at least.

            Stories – Whether it’s a story from a book I’ve read, a television show, or movies, I have so many favorites. Stories and reading or hearing them are great. I really love hearing stories from people the most, though. I love to hear stories about families. Any story a friend or family member can share with me, I take it all in and remember it.

Memories – This one kind of ties together with stories. I love to hear memories people have. I also like to see memories people have through pictures. Any way you can share a favorite memory is great. I love and cherish all the memories I have with everyone I’ve ever met – positive or negative – because it’s made me the person I am today.

All these little things mean more to me than any actual object could. I’m always all about the little things before I’m about any object of any kind. This was a long list, but I’m sure there are so many more I missed. What about you? What little things mean a lot to you?