Simple Pleasures - being happy in the boondocks

'Bubbles of Joy' / Photo source: Fechi Fajardo 

Simple pleasures….our life here in the boondocks is made of small baubles of happiness, moments that seem small but are actually large in the way they nestle in our hearts. These pleasures seem ordinary, but in the scheme of things, in the scheme of our lives, it’s these joys that sew the blanket of our lives, one small, colourful patch at a time.

This weekend was one such part of the blanket, filled with bright little bubbles of joy. Moments that can be dismissed as ordinary, but when cherished, they turn into gold, lighting up our days and filling our lives with their jewel-like quality.

We celebrated Friday night, welcoming the weekend with a ‘special’ dinner. Grabbing our jackets and sheathing our little one in woolen leggings, sweater and knitted cap, we headed off to the closest restaurant near our home. The only restaurant. The night had a hint of winter, and my husband and I walked the two mile distance, sharing how we spent our day, like a bar of chocolate shared between best friends. We talked about the day’s events, the dreams we drew that day, the goals we achieved that week, the ones we wanted to set for the months to come. We laughed with our little baby, who was snug in his sling, and gurgled right back at him, tasting a sliver of childhood.

The exercise warmed us up, and so did the conversation and laughter. The meal at the restaurant, a small room with three sets of tables and a smattering of plastic furniture under a tree, was just as delightful. Platters of butter chicken and mughlai, scooped up with naans, buttery and sprinkled with sesame seeds, and rounded off with ice-cream was the stuff weekend meals are made of.

The weekend itself was a smorgasbord of warm moments. We watched an amazing movie (Invictus) at home, cooked together, went for long walks, relished the slices of quiet time in the mornings just before our baby woke up, reading blogs and books. We spent some time alone chatting and really listening to each other, a rare luxury when you’re parenting a baby. The two new flavours of cake from the local bakery – figs & honey, and banana & whole wheat, were our weekend indulgence, which we wolfed down with cups of steaming coffee.

photo source: Celestine Chua

So, as I step into a new week, as I skid and zoom through Monday and the days that follow, I still have the glow of a warm and well-spent weekend to carry along and treasure. A glow that I hope spills some of its happiness, some of its wisdom into this week. The wisdom of finding happiness within the ordinary. Of creating meaningful days wherever we are. Even if it’s in the boondocks, where choices are limited, where the glittering life of cities is a distant dream, where material comforts are meager.

photo source: symphony of love