The Beginning of a Beautiful Thing

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things."   If you don't recognize these wonderful song lyrics, they're from the song in The Sound of Music called "My Favorite Things."  If you've never seen this movie, rent it!  This is one of my favorite movies, that my grandma showed me when I was young, and I've seen it more than 20 times.   Whether I was laying in my grandma's living room, nestled on her lap, or in my own home introducing it to my husband, it's become one of my favorite movie.

In February, that grandma, the best grandma in the world, claimed her spot in Heaven.  Although we were all sad, we knew she was much happier in her paradise where she could see and enjoy all of Heaven's beauty.  If you didn't know her, she was the most remarkable single mother of 8 children, grandmother of 19, devoted Catholic, teacher, and counselor, and the most ideal person to tell people to think positively and live in the present.  She truly appreciate all the little things in life:  the smell of lavender, a good blizzard from Dairy Queen, hearing children's laughter, poetry, a moving prayer, making those around her happy, drives in the country, and so much more.  She was a simple person, yet had such intelligence and faith, you had to believe everything she said because she seemed to know it all.  She has taught our family and me so much about keeping the right attitude during life's ups and downs and how every morning you have the choice to make it a good or bad day.  Even in her last stages with Parkinson's disease, it was evident that she was taking in all the little things she could, interlacing hands, holding the rosary, or enjoying a Wendy's frosty that we'd sneak into the nursing home for her. 

While I try my best to carry out her lessons daily, sometimes busy schedules and the negativity of life can catch up with me.  I've decided to take her lessons and do what she would always tell us, look for and enjoy the little things.

So that's that; my new project.  I'm going to pick one beautiful thing on a crummy day  or a pretty thing on a amazing day, and share it with you.  Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Happiness isn't a goal; it's a by-product."  I think these wise women, Eleanor Roosevelt and my grandma, knew just what they were talking about!

I hope you journey along with me and look for all the little things that bring joy and happiness to our normal everydays!