Friday, November 2, 2012

Simple Joys are the Best Kind

I've been drinking a lot of tea lately.
I drink a minimum of two cups daily- a cup of green in the morning to wake me up, and a cup of chamomile at night to shut me down. I enjoy both thoroughly, and it's gotten to the point where I wonder if my mouth will ever feel as though it is not slightly burned. This is far from a complaint, as I rather enjoy the reminder that I have this tiny aspect of my life- tea- that daily brings me an immense and unexplainable amount of happiness.
The joy in a cup of tea may seem to many to be a very small thing indeed. However, a mug of my favorite often has the ability to start my day off perfectly. It not only awakens, but soothes. My unusually high stress level for a girl of 15 goes down as I sip. The sense of calm and dignity in this one thing enlivens, bringing me great joy with less that a liter of hot tea.
(Yes, I am drinking tea while writing this.)
My odd love for a beverage, however, is not the point.
Not to quote One Direction, but it's the little things. It pays off sometimes to be detail-oriented. It allows end to get joy out of things others don't necessarily see.
I tried to take a picture of steam rising of of a mug the other day, because it was simply so lovely. Needless to say, my steam-picture failed miserably. Photos can't always capture everything. Had I not stopped to gaze at the steam, I wouldn't be able to envision it at I write, giving me the small joy I try to acheive.
There have been big joys lately, as well. (Though these are merely small joys mashed together.) The connections and friends I've made this week have been unforgettable. Theatre has made me inherently brave. Brave enough to ask a charismatic upperclassman whether she hated me (she didn't), and brave enough to ask a silent senior whether he was talkative (he wasn't). This bravery has given me friends in both of the aforementioned.
I haven't only made friends with seniors, either! The freshman friends I've made are glorious human beings, filled with talent and potential. I just want to hug them, they make me so happy. Reaching out to these people reminds me why I love people in the first place.
The friends I've had forever continue to amaze me. Oftentimes, at the begininning of the year, I don't feel the love. Fortunately, the love lately has been n full force. I feel it strongly.
Then, theatre in itself is just so good for the soul. I truly cannot rave enough about it.
All these tiny aspects- people, an activity, tea- have this effect on me. Tonight, they and the energy that accompanies them, have put me on top of the world.
Notice the little things. They add up, I assure you.