Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Be Thankful for the Little Things

In our lifetime, things may not always go our way.  Some things will disappoint us, while some will go beyond our expectations.  But whatever happens, we should always remember that everything happens for a reason.  I know, I know.  You have heard it a thousand times, but really, it's true.  I myself cannot count how many times I've had a sucky day.  Days where no matter what you do, something always goes wrong.  And whenever you try to fix it, it just blows up in your face.  Like the universe came together and conspired to make your life a living hell.  Something like what happened on the day we flew back from Boracay, just last month.  Flight got delayed, traveled from Caticlan to Kalibo airport, waited 8 hours on the airport, found out dog died, got accidentally hit hard in the head with a laptop bag and burned my fingers. All in one day.  Yes I wanted to scream and shout.  I wanted to curse and kick and go bananas.  And I did.  Well, the cursing part.  You see, nothing is perfect, and it never ever will be.  Life is a spinning wheel, sometimes you're up, sometimes you hit rock bottom.  My point?  We should always appreciate the little things that makes us happy.  Like yesterday.  Yesterday was the birthday of my SIL (sister in law).  (Ach, if you're reading this, belated happy birthday!)  We were supposed to eat in Cyma Shangri-la Plaza, but when we got there, we discovered that the restaurant was closed (they were having a post-Christmas party for their staff).  Suddenly, we were lost; didn't know where to eat.  And time was ticking: it was already 8 o' clock.  We went through numerous restaurants in our heads but nothing seem to fit.  We really had Cyma on our minds, plus, it was one of the family's favorite restaurants.  One minute short of giving up and just going for whatever restaurant that's there, it was then that Hubby was reminded of what I told him earlier: HEAT Edsa Shangri-la Hotel was having a New Year promo. Php799++ lunch from Mondays to Saturdays and Php999++ dinner from Sunday to Wednesday, with a minimum of 5 diners.  It was a Monday and we were 6, it was perfect!  So HEAT it was, and we had a wonderful dinner.  Unplanned, yes, but we ended up enjoying every bit of it.  The most important thing of all, is that the celebrant is happy.  

Second little thing:  I was just browsing through Facebook in the middle of the afternoon when an online contest that RX 93.1 was sponsoring popped up in my feed.  They were giving out tickets to the premiere of the Tom Cruise movie "Jack Reacher".  Simply answer the question "Why do you want the ticket?" and the 10 best answers get a pair of tickets!  My answer?  "Barely saw my husband the past week because of work.  Watching Jack Reacher would be the perfect chance for us to bond and spend quality time together."  Simple, a bit cheesy, but 100% true and straight to the point.   Didn't think much about the contest since I rarely win these things and there were about a hundred entries.  It was when we came home from my SIL's birthday dinner that I remembered and checked Facebook again for updates.  And... I won!  I know, it's not lotto but still, it felt good!  Will definitely savor every minute of that movie later.  

Third little thing:  Have always been a fan of Cecile Van Straten aka Chuvaness, so of course I follow her on Twitter and Instagram.  Yesterday afternoon she posted to Instagram about Tonkichi, a restaurant I've been wanting to try in HongKong.  Being curious, I asked her if it was better than Saboten, the famous tonkatsu place at the foodcourt of the HongKong Airport.  And this is what happened next:


Yes, she replied!  To me!  Ultimate fan girl mode: on.  It was just a simple thing but it meant a lot.  See?  These are the little things that I am talking about.  Always find joy in the little things in life.  Learn to appreciate the little surprises that life brings everyday.  Because in little things, you will find great happiness.  And when I find myself stuck again in one of those nightmare days, I will always look back at this post; look back at the things that made me smile.  And I will know in my heart that there's always a rainbow after the rain, and everything will be alright.  And with that, I leave to you the lyrics to the song "Smile" by Nat King Cole.  

Smile though your heart is aching 
Smile even though it's breaking 

When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by 

If you smile through your fear and sorrow 
Smile and maybe tomorrow 
You'll see the sun come shining through for you 


Light up your face with gladness 

Hide every trace of sadness 

Although a tear may be ever so near 
That's the time you must keep on trying 
Smile, what's the use of crying? 
You'll find that life is still worthwhile 
If you just smile 


That's the time you must keep on trying 

Smile, what's the use of crying? 

You'll find that life is still worthwhile 
If you just smile

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