Small things that spark joy

Freshly made king-size hotel beds all to yourself,

Being able to reach the family heirloom ceramic dish on the top shelf,

Successfully avoiding parking tickets in JC for a whole year,

Watching my family and friends succeed without fear,

Chocolate dipped plump red strawberries,

Walking through a museum, lost in the contemporaries.

When the DJ actually plays the song you requested,

And when your family approves of the restaurant you suggested,

Seeing a life changing film and telling everyone about it,

Being a plus size girl in a thrift store finding a rare perfect outfit,

Using locally sourced EVOO instead of Pam,

The fact that animals have their own Instagrams,

When a stranger guesses your age younger than you actually are,

When you discover that one hidden gem of a dive bar,

Hopping on a plane to be greeted by family,

Themed parties, especially ones where you dress up fancily,

Making weeknight dinners with your best friend,

Singing karaoke until the night ends,

Wandering around aimlessly with your gals,

Stumbling upon new/old music and sharing with pals,

When you are needed by your friends, and they feel better after,

Making jokes that are immediately followed by laughter,

Morning and late night cuddles with your cat,

And when he follows you into the bathroom to sit on your lap,

Thinking about astrology, the moon and the stars for fun,

When Mom says the food’s done and you can't help but run,

Christmas in Florida with their lit well decorated palm trees,

Paying for food with cash and avoiding the credit card fees,

A lazy Sunday where you finally get to sleep in,

High and frequent doses of serotonin,

Fall weather, and experiencing all the seasons,

Receiving random small gifts for no reason,

Taking a stoop walk around Jersey City,

Stopping to take pictures because the flowers are so pretty,

When a guy doesn’t mind that your legs aren’t shaved or how early you put out,

Getting out of work and it’s still daylight out,

The army of friends and family that surround you after a break up,

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter cups,

Pretty buildings for which I could never find the funds,

That aroma when the cookies in the oven are close to done,

Being told you smell good or that your nose is cute,

Small compliments that make you blush and go “aw, shoot,”

Hibachi restaurants when the chef tosses a zucchini,

And you catch it in your mouth instead of it landing in your peach bellini,

Free food, free concerts, free 10 minute massage work perks,

Not being required to do any more schoolwork,

Volunteering for absolutely nothing in return,

Reapplying just the right amount of sunscreen to avoid sunburn,

Looking at your 35mm film scans for the first time,

Arriving to the top of the hike in a National Park, taking in the beautiful skyline,

A huge plate of Jersey Diner disco fries,

Finally finishing a project or goal, no matter the size.