Seven Simple Pleasures and the Importance of Writing

My friend Dana, who is also a writer, gave a speech in our Toastmasters group Thursday on the importance of writing everyday.  She urged the audience to write daily for four different reasons.

Her first reason included the art of recognizing astonishment. She told a fabulous, descriptive story.  Dana detailed a scene she witnessed in the park of her son playing when the sun was going down for the day.  Meanwhile a large family sat around playing accordions while this occurred.  She tells the story very well, like a dramatic moment from The Sound of Music.

I was asking myself when the last time I felt astonished or witnessed wonderment like that.  Her lesson hit home with me as I know my children are easily amazed at every small thing in our world.  I need to take note of their elation and apply their bewilderment into my mind-set.

Then later in Dana’s speech she brought up a point about writing for gratitude.  That recommendation really struck a chord with me (not an accordion key, but rather my heart strings).

I pondered over my lack of gratitude on that particular day.  On that Thursday, I was having a gloomy, negative attitude. I had let my sick stomach, office gossip and homework overwhelm me and bring me down.  So silly, really!  I have so much to value, so many blessings to appreciate.

Then I remembered that a few years ago, I regularly blogged about the things I was grateful for in my life.  I don’t know why I stopped doing that free therapy for myself.  (In fact I think one of Dana’s other speech points was that writing is in fact a form of no-cost therapy…)  My mom kept a gratitude journal for many years after I had a sudden visit to the hospital as a teenager.  I’m not sure if she still does this but I definitely want to bring this writing practice back into my routine.

Writing for thankfulness once a week seems like a reasonable time frame (less pressure than daily) to write down simple pleasures I experience. In fact seven things immediately came to my mind, just moments ago.  Let me write them down here.

Seven Simple Pleasures from my weekend:
1. On Friday night my family of four had an indoor picnic on the floor for dinner.
2. My oldest daughter and I read her first chapter book together.
3. I witnessed the pure happiness in my kids when they received a free cookie at the grocery store.
4. Two nights in a row, our family lounged around on the sofa watching movies together.
5. I managed to have a few moments to myself to sit outside peacefully and listen to the birds on Sunday.
6. While I was sitting outside, I realized that there was no humidity in the air.  Hooray for cooler temperatures.
7. I spent more time hugging and kissing my husband this weekend than I had in a long time.  I need to do more of that, to be an affectionate wife.

That’s it. These joys may not seem like much but they are what I’m grateful for as my weekend comes to a close.  A new week begins and I must remember the charmed life I have.

Thanks Dana for another reminder on why I love writing. I can’t recall at the moment what that fourth point was in your speech…  I know the reason was a good one but it escapes me now. It will probably resurface in my brain as soon as I “publish” this post.  However, I will take your cues on finding astonishment and writing weekly gratitude as a form of therapy. I will put those action items on my to-do list. Thank you.

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Have you ever kept a gratitude journal?  What seven simple pleasures come to mind that you’ve enjoyed recently?