Life's Little Satisfactions

Some of my favorite lyrics from Stephen Sondheim's musical "Into the Woods" come from the song, "Moments in the Woods":

Oh, if life were made of moments
Even now and then a bad one!
But if life were only moments
Then you'd never know you had one.

Life may not be made of moments, and yet it is full of moments. Moments that are easy to miss, moments that make life a little easier, a little more satisfying. Here are some of the little moments in life that may not mean much in the big picture, but that - to me, anyway - make life just a little sweeter and more satisfying.

Making the first footprints in new-fallen snow.

Making a baby laugh.

When someone else's cat chooses your lap to sit in.

A hug you didn't know you needed.

A perfectly-dispensed whorl of whipped cream.

A really comfortable chair.

Taking a photo at exactly the right moment.

A really satisfying sneeze.

When the movie actually lives up to the book.

Giving someone advice that they take - and it works.

Having a good hair day on a day when it counts.

Picking the shortest checkout line.

You'd have bought it anyway, but it's also on sale.

Someone complimenting your cooking.

Getting kudos from your boss.

When there's just exactly the right amount left on the wrapping paper roll. (Or cling wrap, or tinfoil, or scotch tape.)

Toasting a marshmallow and getting it perfectly golden all around.

Putting something together and not having any pieces left over.

Running into an old friend.

Making the perfect pancake.

When everything fits back into the box on the very first try.

Finding cash in the pocket of something you haven't worn in a while.

Chicken soup.

Comfortable shoes.

The smell right after it rains.

Sleeping on freshly-changed sheets.

When your bathroom break takes exactly the same amount of time as the commercial.

Stumbling across your favorite movie just as it's starting.

When the shower is already at the perfect temperature when you get in.

Blowing the perfect bubble (gum or soap).

Getting to the platform just as the train arrives.

When the daily special is exactly what you were craving.

Finding a penny (and picking it up, so all the day you'll have good luck).

When the rain stops for just long enough for you to make it to your car.

When a night of insomnia ends with the reward of a beautiful sunrise.

A walk in the woods.

When the chips and dip come out even.

Those few moments when all the clocks in the house are perfectly synchronized.

Waking up just before the alarm goes off.

A cup of tea and a good book.

When the leftovers fit perfectly in the Tupperware you picked.

The smell of a freshly-bathed baby.

Wishing you find a few perfect moments in your day today.