Focus on the Good Stuff

My mom, sister, and mother-in-law visited last weekend, and I was struck by how much a few little changes to our apartment during our preparation for having them here, really made me appreciate our place a bit more.

I'm not made for apartment living, so it's tough for me to see the joys of apartment living very regularly. But in terms of location and cost, this apartment is just right for us for right now. Even so, I find myself often getting frustrated at our lack of storage and no yard of our own and a zillion other little annoyances.

But this weekend, I made a point to take in the good things about our home. To focus my attention on our larger kitchen, our cute artwork, our convenient washer and dryer, the park that's less than a block away. And it's made me much more satisfied with our place. Mind you, nothing changed significantly in the apartment...we still have all white walls, old carpet, a toilet that runs and wastes water, and hilarious 1970's cabinets. But my perception, my focus, my outlook, shifted slightly, and that has made such a difference. Now I see the gorgeous trees in our front yard, the convenience of walking to Flanna's school and Robi's work, the amazingly kind neighbors all around, and the other annoyances seem like trifles.

So, thanks, Thanksgiving. For inspiring my new eyes.

Here are some of the things I love best in Flanna's room: paintings hung above her dresser that she painted when she was 2; her map of America, a flower mobile she colored that my mom hung up for her by the window; her antique bed that used to be mine when I was a kid (in the pic, she's reading before bed with her grandmas and her cousin...sweet, right?); and her super-secret hideout tent in her closet.

That's just a taste of the good stuff. There's really so much more, if I just look for it.





What in your life do you need to see through "new eyes" to boost your happiness?