I’ve heard it and I’m sure you have too, but it really is the little things in life that make it worth living. I usually am reminded to practice gratitude by a nice quote sent to me by my mom, but my most recent reminder occurred via a car crash. Not as nice as a Pinterest quote, that’s for sure.
In the span of an hour and a half after leaving my college to go home, my phone automatically dialed 911 because my car had spun out across two busy interstates at a pace of running through molasses in the middle of nowhere, Illinois. Other than needing a new muffler and front bumper, my car and I were left practically unscathed. I’d like to think it was a funny way for God to remind me to never drive long distances past midnight and to be grateful for my health, my relationships and my opportunities.
Three huge midterms, two bacon gouda sandwiches, and a strawberry acai refresher later: my appreciation for the “little things” in life has skyrocketed through the roof because, without them, I might have lost my sanity in the car crash too.
Little thing number one: spending time with your hometown friends. This morning, I walked over to my friend Ally’s place. I made Joey eggs, bread with the little hole and an egg in it, for us to enjoy for breakfast while we debriefed the night before. Before we knew it, we had big fat smiles plastered with giggles sneaking out of them all over our faces as each conversation thoroughly failed the Bechdel test. Ally is one of few friends that my dad actually knows the name of, so for anyone with a dad like mine: you know how rare that is.
As I write this article, I am sitting next to my best friend Sydney at a cute coffee shop at the University of Illinois. We tailgated together the day before and sat through a painfully slow football game, but we had the time of our lives eavesdropping on the chatter around us and cracking jokes about how we could outrun a Division One running back. Our conversations always circle back to our memories of being camp counselors together this past summer and about what we’ll wear for Halloween. Simply put, the feeling of being known and loved by others never fails to get me through the day. Although all of my friends go to school so far away from my own, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard,”.
Little thing number two: sweet treat runs. I love to study and be productive, but there is truly nothing better to (literally) sweeten the deal than with a sweet treat. I spend my Monday nights with my closest friends on what we call affectionately “Marchetti Monday” after the building complex. On our most recent Monday, we all brought our favorite snacks and treats for us all to enjoy. My dearest friend Olivia and I also love to indulge in a late-night run to Steak n’ Shake, a tradition we have been keeping since freshman year. My friends like to joke that I can’t go a single hour of the day without treating myself to something small, but it truly makes such a difference to me. I think about the love that was put into mixing and then kneading the dough of a pastry, or maybe how the barista has developed a system to make each iced latte with ease and perfection. Everything happens for a reason!
Little thing number three: my morning routine. There is something cathartic about waking up with the sun every day with the aftertaste of mint on my breath as I walk out of my residence hall. The precious time that I have to myself to mentally and physically prepare for the day is time that I will never take for granted. Sometimes, it’ll be spent with my boyfriend or mom on speakerphone while I tear out the tangles in my hair. Sometimes, it’ll be spent with Surfaces softly playing from my JBL clip and letting my terrible sing-songy voice sift through the air. Most times, it is spent in silence to allow myself to mindlessly escape the stress in my life for even just a moment.
At the end of the day, my car was still driveable. She hit a deer carcass and went topsy-turvy and she probably felt like the world was going to end right then and there, but she still had the capacity to keep going. Reflecting on this experience, I realized that my car and I seem to have a lot in common. The world keeps spinning regardless of how long I dwell on my mistakes and my losses. I take the time I need and then I spin along with the world when I am ready. A lot of my daily routine revolved around using my car to get from place to place, but after not having my car for almost a month I realized how much love filled the crevices in my life, padded thick like a warm jacket. I spent more time in carpools with my friends, laughing and smiling on our way to class. I was up on my feet more often, appreciating the beauty that my campus held. I paid special attention to the little things in life that I was grateful for and appreciated, and I will be sure to continue doing so in the future.
I hope it won’t take you a drastic near-death event to realize how much there is to love about your life, but if it does then I’ll leave you with this: I’m grateful I crashed my car.