27 Small Joys People Forget To Appreciate, According To Our Community

When your cat curls up next to you and starts to purr. Like, you’ve made a tiny house panther happy just by existing.

How excited your dog is when you come home.

Having plentiful, clean water on demand.

Rainbows after the rain.
A good, well-worn blanket.
Hot cocoa on a cold day.
Silence.
Good neighbors.

When I’m getting ready to take our beautiful 7-month-old Golden Retriever/Great Pyrenees puppy for a walk, she gets so excited that it’s hard to put on my walking shoes. She’s all over me, wiggling here and there, while I’m trying to tie my laces—and she’s thinking, “What the heck are you doing? I’m ready—why aren’t you?”

An amazing view. I used to live in a village about 20 km outside Geneva. The journey home from the office was downhill toward Lac Léman, with Mont Blanc rising above it. I was there for three years. I would stop my car and get out just to look at the view at least twice a week (sometimes I’d even pull the car over first). Every time, it blew my socks off (I probably shouldn’t have been wearing them with sandals anyway, I suppose). It felt like a mental “reset” after a day doing busy work.

Also, a really, really good shower with high-pressure settings and heat. Not to be underestimated.

Lastly, a dog running up to you first when you’re in a group of people. Makes me feel like the Dog King.

Just taking a few minutes every day (it doesn’t have to be many, maybe 1 or 2) to stop and look up. Enjoy the sky. Even better at night, and if you’re really lucky, you’ll even see stars. (At night, I mean… if you’re seeing stars in the daytime, then you’re either on d***s or you didn’t look before crossing the road, and that’s bad.)

The moment when I’m waiting to pick up my kids from school, and they’re looking around for me—then their faces light up with the biggest smiles when they see me. Cue the frantic waving and excited jumping around.

The noise of birds in the trees.
Using a pen you like.

Fresh, clean sheets. My husband calls it a “sheetgasm”!

When my 4-year-old granddaughter would run from across the room and jump into my arms to hug me.

A nap… in a beam of sunshine… on a cold Sunday afternoon. (Cats know. Learn from cats.)

The peace and quiet during that first cup of coffee, which can sometimes be so rare… the ones overlooking it are the ones that keep it from happening.

A week with no plans. I’ve been on the run since the start of the year. I looked at my calendar this morning, and there is absolutely nothing (other than work) scheduled all week. This never happens! I may get to sit on my butt for a few hours or cook something that doesn’t involve the microwave.

Having clean water.

Silence. Just being quiet and listening to the world. It’s amazing how much we miss because we’re overwhelmed with other things. Just take a breath and be still. Sometimes you actually hear the world speaking to you, and it’s been waiting a long time for your attention.

Having someone you love next to you when you wake up in the morning.

Harvesting your own food.
Cuddling with a loved one.
Having a cup of coffee in peace.
Going for a night walk in a safe neighborhood.
Waking up in the morning and actually feeling relaxed!

Sneezing—when it’s been building and then suddenly happens.

The perfect temperature. This may sound weird, but living in northern Wisconsin, US, it doesn’t always have the warmest weather. So when I’m outside enjoying myself, I will sometimes stop and think, “Is this the perfect temperature for me right now?” and it makes me more aware of my world in the here and now. It is a small joy to have “the perfect temperature” while outside.