Simple Things

Simple Things-For many years, my life has not been very "scintillating".
Just the opposite. But, over the long, monotonous years, I have learned to
appreciate and value the little, simple things in life.

One thing that I have learned to value is a good night's sleep. I am not a
good sleeper so, when I do get 6 or 7 hours of sleep, it is absolutely
wonderful.

Another simple thing that I value is a good cup of coffee with my breakfast.
The coffee in Long-term Care is decaffeinated but the kitchen staff sends
coffee on my tray so I get my shot of caffeine. At times, it is not that
good. Maybe too strong or lukewarm. Most of the time, though, it tastes SO
good and helps to start my day. Once in awhile, somebody, nurse or
otherwise, brings me a Tim Horton's coffee. I can't go get it for myself any
time I want so it is always a real treat for me. Same with homemade baking.
That is not something we get a lot of in Long-term Care so just a little
thing like that can brighten up my day.

But enough about food. One of the simple things that I enjoy the most is
watching small children. They are so genuine and innocent. If I don't feel
like smiling, they can usually bring a smile to my face. Especially my
grandkids. I love it when my adopted grandkids crawl all over me and I
really enjoy watching my real grandson. Though I usually have to watch him
via Skype.

Sometimes, I have to listen to people talk about different, exotic places
that they are going. Like Jamaica, Mexico, etc. But, because l usually look
at the same four walls day-after-day, even a trip to Bonnyville is something
to look forward to. Awhile back, I even got to go to Edmonton and
Lloydminster a couple of times each. I am sure that I was as excited about
those destinations as other people are of their "big" trips.

Visitors always give me a lot of pleasure. Whether a person (s) comes to chat or to read to me, it is a special time for me. I am alone a lot so it is enjoyable for me to have people with me for awhile. Plus, they take my mind off me and my problems. So, whether they chat or read, always brighten my day.

I just want to mention a couple of little things that I really enjoy. One is a nice, hot bath. The bath water here is not always as warm as I like so, when it is, it feels so good. Another little pleasure of mine is this. Every night, when the nurses put me to bed, they tuck me in with a warm blanket. What a nice way to go to bed. Then, when they reposition me around 2 am, they give me a new warm blanket.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I enjoy receiving e-mails. It is a way that I have to freely communicate with other people and, everyday, I look forward to checking my e-mail.

Those are some of the simple things in my life that I enjoy. I could probably think of more if I tried but you get the picture. I have to learned get enjoyment from the simple things in my life. The truth is that I lead a pretty simple life. Simple but not easy.