By Dawn Onley

The joys in life are often found in the little things.

We find the small stuff when we live in the moment: the smile, the hug, the dance, the foot rub, the nature walk, the family dinner. We can forget that these are the moments that make life so wonderful.

This often gets lost in our longings for the big stuff.

But it’s the small stuff — when we’re counting our blessings — that is just as important, if not more, than the big stuff. It’s these little moments that create the memories of a person, place or time. The little moments, spread out over a span of time, paint a rendering of our stories and form the melody of our songs.

The little moments are the main course of our everyday existence. The big stuff gets all the attention, but when I look at my big moments, I’ve come to see them as the icing on the cake. My life was already sweet because of the small stuff.

Learn to cherish the small stuff. We are conditioned to think of success as something big, but in actuality success is found in the small stuff that we do consistently, over time. It’s the same way with relationships of all types. Not much is jumpstarted over night. It’s built by the small moments.

The bedtime stories. The phone call to a friend. A cup of coffee prepared just right. The talks with your grandmother. A movie with your spouse. The compliments. The smiles. The family time. An early morning stroll. A delicious meal. A hug. A kiss. A luxurious bath. Reading a good book. An inspiring word. Crossing off items on your to-do list. Being able to bless someone just because you have been so blessed.

Cherish it all. The small stuff is what life is all about.