Finding Joy in the Little Things

Reflecting back on today, I realized it was filled with simple moments for which I want to express my gratitude.

The day started off early, with a 7:30 appointment with a dental hygienist for my six month cleaning. Despite my best efforts to try and take good care of my teeth, the cleaning is always a little more painful than I’m hoping it will be. Today was no exception, but at least there were no cavities, I got a clean bill from the dentist, and I’m good for the next six months. The hygienist and the dentist were not only skilled at what they do, they do their job with a caring and pleasant attitude. So thank you Bryn Mawr Dental Health for making a potentially stressful experience a relatively pleasant one.

Right after the dental visit, it was off to the car dealer to get my car inspected. I always dread this annual event, since it seems like the mechanics always find something that needs to be fixed in order for the car to pass inspection. Well today they found nothing, and this was on a 2006 car with over 175,000 miles on it! So I was actually happy to pay my $72, since in years past it has been 10 to 20 times that amount. So thank you Ardmore Toyota for your honesty.

Later that morning, my youngest son and I continued our Tuesday tradition of going out for a late breakfast/early lunch. Today, since it was such a nice weather day, we decided to go into Philadelphia and have lunch at the South Street Diner.

After looking through the extensive menu carefully, I opted for the grilled veggie quesadilla, since it seemed to meet my vegan diet restrictions. When the meal arrived, the first thing I noticed was that there was cheese inside, which had not been noted on the menu. I told the waitress I did not know that it came with cheese, and that I was not able to eat it as a result. I asked if the kitchen could make me a new one without the cheese, and offered to pay for both, since it was my error. She said that was not necessary, and took my meal back with no questions asked. A few minutes later she brought out what turned out to be an incredibly tasty quesadilla.

When I got home I looked up what quesadilla meant, and here’s what Wikipedia had to say: A quesadilla is a tortilla, usually a corn tortilla but also sometimes made with a wheat tortilla, which is filled with cheese and then grilled. I’m sure the kitchen staff had to wonder what kind of customer returns a meal that is made with cheese because it has cheese. But the waitress never questioned my lack of knowledge, but treated me only with care and kindness. So thank you to the people at the South Street Diner for your friendly and professional service and for not making fun of me (at least not while I was there).

And finally, thank you to my dinner partner tonight, Chase Carey. Chase is a former MBA student of mine from the late 1980s who flew in from Atlanta to be a guest speaker in my classes tomorrow. The topic – meditation. This is the second year in a row Chase has agreed to do this, and based on the positive feedback the students provided last year, I am sure his presentation will be a hit again.

So looking back on the day, there was nothing extraordinary – a teeth cleaning, a car inspection, lunch with my son, and a dinner with a former student. But all of those activities put a smile on my face, and more importantly, afforded me the opportunity to be grateful for the  experience.

I’m sure if I paid closer attention I’d realize that every day creates such opportunities…