Little things that make me happy

In response to a comment on my last post, I have realized that the little things really can make you happy. I have never really appreciated this before as I have never taken the time to slow my life down to the point when I notice these things. I had this realization yesterday and here are a few of my "happy things":

1. When riding my bike home from work I had four people shout out at me and one car honked it's horn. Now I may not know all the people who shouted "hello, Sarah!", but they sure all know me. And the honking horn was a friend from work. This makes me feel like I am becoming a part of the community, an exciting part at that. 

2. talking with neighbors in the evening in a mix of Thai/Lao. Now I have said I can't really fluently speak Thai, but last evening I was pretty proud of myself for carrying on these conversations. Let's face it, I've only been here just over 3 months!

3. taking pictures in the yard during sunset. For some reason I had not really noticed the palm trees and beautiful flowers in my yard. I may be in the poorest and driest region of Thailand, but my yard is truly beautiful, as was the sunset.

4. downloading music my parents listened to when I was younger. I still remembered all the words. Some favorites have resurfaced: Mary Chapen Carpenter and Bonnie Raitt and Randy Travis. 

So, I encourage you all to slow down just enough to find one random part of your day that brings a smile to your face or makes you truly happy. It could be a turkey sandwich (god knows that would make me happy), your favorite song coming on the radio, or even stopping to actually watch the sunset.