Yesterday I had a conversation with my friend Abi about some of the vignettes of life that bring moments of pure joy. She shared with me some of hers, and gave me permission to post them:

"I like reading about or thinking about ideas that are bigger than I am."

"Sitting down and playing the piano without thinking about the notes--like my fingers are playing and I am listening. I like listening to myself play the piano--it's soothing. Almost as good (sometimes better) than a run." I love that.

"I love the feeling of being pleasantly surprised. I love turning in stressful assignments and never thinking about them again. I love the feel of the connection of a softbal l and the sweet spot of the bat--and then rounding first to see the outfielder still chasing it."


Here are a few glimpses of the little things in life that make me happy:

Sometimes the most amazing thing in the world is sitting on the bench outside with a bowl of ice cream and realizing that it is only getting better and better with each bite. The spoon scraping the bowl is proof that it's been a good day.

I love sitting by a fountain of water and having my fingers immerse themselves-- involuntarily--into the water. I find the cool freshness penetrating more than my skin; I am aware of nothing but clarity. The water gets inside of me, and I smile. My fingers play in the surface--then I dig deeper. I feel clean.

I love looking into a puddle after a rainstorm and seeking the sky at my feet: blue, scattered with clouds. It's nature's inversion.