Back in the spring of this year when I set my mind to begin writing on a more consistent basis, it didn’t take me long to create a name for my blog–“The Art of Nyce”. I admit taking liberty on the spelling of ‘nice’ because I wanted to add some flair and cuteness to my work. Another reason for the selection of the name stems from numerous conversations between my husband and me where inevitably the ending question is ‘how hard is it to be nice?’ These conversations are usually the result of having learned of yet another broken relationship or display of rudeness to an innocent individual. How does the subject of “Little Things” fit into ‘The Art of Being Nyce?” I’d like to unpack that thought.

In the complexity of life, with all of its ups and downs related to relationships, work, hobbies, etc. I believe that ‘little things’ really matter and should be the focus of our motives. Robert Brault is credited with saying “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things”. When I read that sentence I see a wealth of wisdom and truth buried for the scavenger in all of us to find and put into use. Just how does one enjoy the little things in life? What does that enjoyment look like? For me, it comes in the form of a mug of freshly brewed coffee in the morning. On Sunday mornings that mug of coffee is often brought to me by my husband who usually rises before me. This simple act is one example of ‘the art of nyce’. Another example is a routine that we unknowingly established a few years ago–whoever prepares the evening meal does not have to wash the dishes. It’s become a given, a practice only broken by schedules or the presence of illness.

We’ve also learned and found out that we don’t need to spend lavish amounts of money in order to enjoy each other’s company. Last Saturday was a wonderful example of such a time. We set out to do some shopping at Home Depot, but before we arrived to that destination we purposefully purchased and delivered bowls of soup to our daughter and her co-worker for their lunch because they were unable to get away for an extended break. The purchase was $10.98 but the words of gratitude expressed then and later were a deposit into my ‘momma heart’–women understand what I mean–that secret place where treasures are kept and give warmth to our emotions when they are waning and waxing under the pressures of life. Our next stop was a spontaneous one; we visited a pet supply store to ‘just look’ at the dogs and cats up for adoption. One particular cat was most adorable and the young woman manning the cage was a most enthusiastic volunteer trying to sway our curiosity towards ‘you need this cute little girl kitty….’ even with all of her charm we smiled and left. The cost was nothing except for a portion of time in our Saturday afternoon. We did make it to Home Depot and purchased the items we needed, along with a couple of things that weren’t on the list. In Home Depot we were treated to a free bag of popcorn and enjoyed bantering with at least six employees as we pushed our cart down the various aisles. We spent $71 on this transaction but walked out with a sense of accomplishment and even remarked at how pleasant all the employees were to us. I’d like to think it’s because we took time to engage them in conversation, look for their name written on their apron, and use their name when asking a question or thanking them for their assistance.

If having all this fun at Home Depot wasn’t enough, my husband wanted to check out his favorite clothing consignment store. For those of you know my husband real well, he likes a bargain and HATES spending money on new clothes when he can find perfectly good shirts and pants at great prices. So, we went to 2nd Time Around. As luck would have it, he found several shirts in his price range. That purchase was $6 plus tax. I on the other hand decided I COULD use a brown pullover shirt since my previous one became stained and got tossed out in the trash. I was unable to find what I wanted at 2nd Time Around so my husband indulged in taking me over to Kellie’s Consignments where I not only found a brown pullover, but a sweater and a beige pullover all for $19.

Now, maybe you’re wondering how this Saturday experience comes into the play of “Little Things”. Turn your wondering into the role of being on a scavenger hunt. You’ve got your list of what you’re ‘supposed’ to find but you know that as you travel the route scoping and snooping for each assigned treasure, surprises will pop up along the way–that’s what I call the “Little Things” in life–those unexpected or intentional acts that blend into the purpose of our day and bring to greater life a most enjoyable experience or memory. Furthermore, I know that going on errands or a scavenger hunt takes energy, but by allowing your mind to entertain “how hard is to be nice” along the way may just usher in a moment of relief from an otherwise stressful day. And, if you’re not careful embracing those ‘being nice interruptions’ may cause your inner child to rise to the surface and lend to playful thoughts and actions. I think Leo Buscaglia hit the nail on the head with these words: “I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things…I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind”. I don’t have any leaves to play with in my yard, but it is a breezy day today so I think I’ll see if I remember how to skip.