The things that make you forget…
Smiles and music make life good.
I complimented someone today on their smile. As I walked into a store I was greeted by a smile that made me temporarily forget the troubles that accumulated on my frowning brow.
I had a difficult weekend, battling a cold in an overcrowded house. For most of the weekend we had nine people in our four-bedroom house. Two wailing babies, a restless child, a teenager with sporadic bouts of attitude, a needy pregnant wife, underpaid employee and thirty-year-old brother living with disability.
That’s a lot to digest when I was expected to prepare a sermon for a service that most of the church leadership would be absent from while offering support and condolences to a family who’d just lost a beloved relative. I was drained and felt expected to help others while I needed just as much support.
There were many beautiful moments during the weekend and, honestly, my life’s pretty fulfilling with so much human interaction going on. Love is shared in all directions and reciprocated in surprising and unusual ways. Top that off with a beautiful Sunday lunch we dished for people struggling with homelessness in the rain and I can see a large silver lining to all the chaos.
All that aside, I was sick and tired — literally. I looked up over the counter and greeted George. The smile that greeted me back made me feel like a sunny day. I forgot my troubles and returned the good vibes.
Not long after that I happened upon a recent album by an artist who collaborated with my favourite DJ twenty years ago. I decided to give it a listen while I dug into a few projects waiting on my desk.
After a few nods and a lot of distracted moments in conversation with colleagues, I reached the climax of the album. The last song, 1580, is THE soundtrack to my day. I was bothered by something I’d seen online earlier that stuck to my mind like a persistent parasite. Once the first verse hit, I basically fell into a trance. My focus fell suddenly to the smooth beat bleeding from my headphones. I stayed rocking back and forth for minutes, lifted from the cares of this world like an out-of-body experience.
George and Substantial made my day. I knocked some deadlines out of the park, treated my wife and kids, and spent the day with my eyebrows sitting at the top of my forehead rather than scrunched on the bridge of my nose.
Get a soundtrack to your day that makes you bounce to the rhythm of life. Give a smile that lights up the faces of people you meet.
Enjoy the little things in life. That’s what makes it worth living.
Live longer, and may your tribe increase! ✌
