I invite you to read today's Blog - It is about yesterday's post by Imohr and the "How Life Is Measured" essay. It was so touching and appropriate for our lives that I wrote about it today, and am asking that you post the "little pleasures" in life that give you joy here under this topic.
We could use a few smiles in our lives, and I'd like to hear what simple pleasure makes you smile.
For a few brief moments, I obtain such joy from my little dog looking up at me with trust and love, then licking my hands as she demonstrates her affection and complete trust ....
When my sons call me and say goodbye with "I love you mom"
Eating a piece of fudge slowly while I nibble on popcorn....
Seeing my sweet husband looking up at me with recognition, its not only a simple pleasure but is a moment of profound joy....
Spending time on the computer communicating with my fellow caregivers...
These are but a few of daily simple pleasures that I experience, feeling my life's blood throughout my body and knowing I am alive.
My simple pleasures are many. In the beginning of this adventure we are on I was very much afraid of what was ahead of us. All I had ever heard of was the down side of the behavior. My husband has never raised his voice to be for any reason. As life has progressed it has remained the same. He is in Stage 6 now and when the bathing, new medication, new things to make his life easier in the bathroom are introduced his response is always the same. "You know best". Always the please and thank you for even the smallest things done for him and never, never does he go to sleep with out kissing me goodnight and saying I love you, even though I know that he does not know it is me. It is the person that takes care of him and he loves her very much. He is very happy and that makes me very, very happy. Even when I loose my temper and will be a little short with him the Good Lord is good to us because in the next moment he does not remember that I have done that. I have many, many pleasures for which I am eternally thankful. Sally
My wife will frequently come up and give me a hug or a kiss on the forehead and say "I love you". One of my comments when she was first diagnosed with AD was that she had become more affectionate. My doctor said "be thankful for small favors".
Regarding seeing animals, we have a large family of wild turkeys that come through our yard - 2 or 3 mothers and at least 20 babies. A couple of years ago, while sitting at the dinning table, I noticed the front window suddenly go dark. When I looked out, there was a huge bull moose walking so close to the house that his body covered the entire window. The only down side was that before I could get my camera, he was too far away to photograph.
Every day there is something to be thankful for if we only notice it.
I too have many simple pleasures...my husband just gave me one ~ I left the computer for a moment to get dressed & there he was! In his chair, just smiling @ me :) Of course I hugged him & he hugged back :) Got him coffee & our day begins ~ Every day I am able to spend time with him is a good day! He still calls me "beautiful" and there have been times, pretty recently, where he has said things like "I love you so much"...words put together when there are not too many times words are put together into full sentences any more. God is good, always!! I am blessed!! I also love to garden & have so many beautiful flowers right now...Summer phlox, Texas hisbicus, Katie Ruellia, Blackfoot Daisies, Red Salvia, Butterfly Milkweed, Roses, Purple butterfly bush, etc...just lovely to look out & see all that :) Each day is a glorious one in the garden of life, even in our 100+ heat that's expected through the next 7-10 days...Thankful for air conditioning too!! :)
My husband has always had a quick wit - it's one of the things that made me love him so much. He's not as quick or as frequent with his wit now so when it flashes I LOVE IT! Last night we were watching a Billy Crystal/Debra Winger movie. He kept saying he "knew that woman"...finally he remembered he "knew" her from another movie and told me the name. I was surprised as Ididn't remember her being in the other movie and I said so. My husband looked at me and said seriously but with a twinkle, "if YOU'd take Aricept you could remember things like that."
Every weekend, I fill out my DH's time ticket. He always writes the information on a sheet of paper and I transfer it to the time ticket. He tells me to ask questions but I generally never do. This time, I asked a question and he came back with a short answer and, as usual, questioned my intelligence. I went back to my chore and "took it with a grain of salt." Then something very important happened. He reached out and touched my hand and apologized. He has only done this one other time in the last 6 months. He told me that it must have sounded "pretty shitty" the way he responded to me and that he was sorry for talking to me that way. I about fell over and almost cried. I patted him and told him thank you for saying that that it meant a lot to me.
my simple pleasures in life are, seeing the look of wonder on my precious grandchildren's faces. there is no other look like that look of, wonder and amazement. being fortunate to have such an honest and dedicated husband, setting on our front porch and looking at the view and watching the hummingbirds. this is our little piece of heaven on earth. appreciating the simple and small wonders in life are truly a blessing. jav
One of my simple pleasures in life is looking at the clouds and marveling at their colors and shapes depending on the the type of cloud and time of day. A couple of days ago, I saw 2 rabbits and a dog in the clouds. Yesterday I saw a thunderhead that looked just like a butte jutting out of the desert. I have some hand-dyed silk ribbons and yarns whose colors are called sunset. Sometimes when I look at a sunset, I can see why those colors were used in the ribbons.
The looks on my dogs faces when they see me on the other side of the door is priceless. It always brings a smile to my face in answer to their doggie smiles and wagging tails.
One of my cats is a gray black and white tiger. He has a beautiful face and when he looks at you just right, he looks like he is smiling - that always makes me smile.