Normally, I would not be happy to see this.

It’s all a matter of perspective, though. In June, this is a yellow weed thumbing its nose at our landscapers. On Dec. 9, it is a lovely flower marking a winter warm spell.

The dandelion got me thinking about other little things that have brought a smile to my face recently. Here are a few of them.

🙂 Yesterday in yoga class, my teacher was describing the posture she wanted us to adopt. Who knows something about construction? she asked. I do, I said confidently. OK, what do you call a rod used to reinforce concrete? she asked. That was easy for someone who lives in a community under construction. Rebar, I said, trying to sit as straight as I could.

🙂 Or last week when I was riding in a car with a friend who is a boy. Traffic was at a standstill. Can you see what the problem is? he asked. Yeah, two guys are shooting grades up there, I said. Wow. I wouldn’t expect a girl to know that term, he said. Ha, I replied, sitting taller with my rebar spine.

🙂 I smiled when I opened and read my first Christmas card of the season. May the joy of Christmas fill your heart and your Abbey, a dear neighbor wished me.

🙂 A day later, I received another card  in the mail. This one made me smile through my tears.

This is the first written communication I have received from my mother in two years, ever since her dementia worsened and a stroke stole her fine motor skills. How will I ever thank the aide who helped her sign it?

I hope you receive something equally valuable this holiday season. 🙂