Small Joys and a Tooth Ache
Recently, I have been in pain. You know that type of throbbing pain that hits your head like a ton of bricks? It could be related to the fact I have a gaping hole in my mouth…literally. You know a dry socket? Yes, I just found out I have one. I had only one wisdom tooth extracted last week and life knocked me down on my knees.
So I have yielded. I have quietly observed what I don’t see when I am in my normal pace each day.
I find myself during these introspective periods learning important lessons about myself and things I can undo or change. I find quiet and reflective time with my soul to just relax without beating myself senseless with a ‘To-Do’ list is really something I should do every day. I tend to keep myself busy so I feel like Wonder Woman, except without the sexy costume.
I write about this in my book Middle Age Beauty. I write about women making time for one small joy a day. Who doesn’t know that? But really, ask yourself, what little ‘happy moments’ have you carved out for yourself in your day each week? Sometimes we forget to place “US” on the To Do list.
Don’t forget about yourself. Don’t forget about the small things that can make you laugh or feel week-in-the-knees. With life at a hectic pace that has us dialed into Twittering & Tweeting, are you remembering to look at the God-given grass right outside your window? (Well, if you live in Southern California grass is by way of irrigation and otherwise it might a dried up shrub.) I have to confess, that sometimes I forget, too.
So back to my tooth. This pain has knocked me off my accomplished list. It feels rather good to be quiet, tame and not always so hungry for the ‘next big moment in life.’ I think we miss the small moments when we are always aiming for that big accomplishment. One of my favorite authors, Pearl S. Buck, summed it up best with her quote here: “Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness.”
So the next time you are down for the count and you need to rest, don’t hate it. Don’t begrudge it. Just do it. Why? Because quiet time–even in pain can help us grow spiritually when we learn more about ourselves.
What did I learn this weekend about myself? I have an obsession with hiking trails and my dog right now. It’s been rather nice to depart from the dust and allow my mind and body to rest, while thinking that hiking is great, but let’s switch it up a bit shall we? (I am somewhat kidding here. There were other lessons, too.)
Pain will come when we least expect it. In a physical sense and in our souls. How we wrap our mind and hearts around our time is what enables us to experience a richer and deeper existence. I am not saying that the tooth bit I would want to do over again. However, learning to have gratitude and seeing the blessings of my ordinary life without the knife throbbing pain in my cheek has been a true gift. My very favorite, Norman Vincent Peale once said, “Seek gifts inside your problems.” Lucky for me, I read that when I was 25. I always look when the rain comes for those little droplets of love that will show me why I am experiencing a hardship that doesn’t seem to fit in my own equation.
I hope that you make sunshiny moments for yourself. That you believe in your best potential. And most of all, never stop dreaming and make believing in a better tomorrow. Thanks for stopping in. I am feeling better now. Why? Because a few hours ago I saw my dentist and he packed the hole with gauze. But mainly because I have decided to stop resisting my present reality and just go with it. Finding that Zen moment even in pain can be fun. At least, that is what I am telling myself.
The best news is I have just read another SK book. (I am late in the game in reading Stephen King.) I just am always blown away by the twists and the turns and the characters. Yes, he is the King for a reason. His writing quite simply is FUN to read. I just read a very serious book -ROSE MADDER and absolutely loved it. (I tend not to agree on the overall consensus of the other fans. I don’t know why that is. But I am still playing catch up. What I mean by this is ROSE MADDER is not a favorite of his fans. It is my #2 favorite behind MISERY.)
I am sharing this here because this is an excellent example of my small joy that I made for myself. I finished the book about 2 a.m. Yes, my jaw was throbbing. But, wow, when Rosie Real walked into the painting and escaped that creep Norman Daniels and then the rest unravels…WOW. I was floored. I loved it. The joy of reading fiction. I did just read Stephen King’s book On Writing. It’s a must, too. That’s how I started reading all his books. I have always been terribly afraid to read him thinking they would be too gruesome or scary. Not True. Psychological thrillers with twists of fantastic fiction would be a more accurate description. (I have not read Carrie, yet!)
So find your small joy each day. Make quiet moments to discover something magical about…YOU. Life can be short sometimes~.
