Never Forget the Simple Joys

This morning my young male seahorse, Moya, discovered a piece of mysis that had floated away from the feeding station and lodged on the rocks. His body language needed no translation:

I snapped the photo without even thinking about the bigger picture–even though it’s one I’m trying to pay more attention to, of late.

Seahorses live their lives in the moment. They don’t have to worry about earning a living, paying the mortgage, or any of the other immediate worries that plague the human world. Although they’re constantly on the alert, they don’t waste energy worrying over where the next meal will come from. As a result, they see their environment clearly, in ways we humans often fail to do.

For the past few days, I’ve tried to consciously “see” the things around me, with an eye to appreciating sights I might otherwise miss and simple joys that would otherwise get lost in the day-to-day. Here are a few of the things I’ve seen….

A ladybug in the plum tree in my yard:

Baby grapes appearing on the vines in the neighborhood garden I pass on my evening walks:

Aphids lined up on a rosebud like soldiers waiting in their ranks:

And the gentle tickle of a cleaner shrimp as it tries to clean me instead of the fish and corals:

Life is rough, and not always happy, but simple joys abound if we simply take the time to recognize them.

Stop and take a look around. Enjoy the taste of your coffee, or the scent of freshly-cut grass on the breeze. Smile at a stranger. Breathe.

And don’t forget to pass it on..or share your observations in the comments. I’d love to know…what simple joy did YOU experience today?