Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Le Petit Bonheur (The Little Happiness)

"Cultivate le petit bonheur (the little happiness) until courage returns. Look forward to the beauty of the next moment, the next hour, the promise of a good meal, sleep, a book, a movie, the likelihood that tonight the stars will shine and tomorrow the sun will shine. Sink roots into the present until the strength grows to think about tomorrow.”
Ardis Whitman

These past two weeks this quote and I have been intimately connected.  Written on a piece of scrap paper it has sat on the bathroom sink and waited for me to finish my shower.  It tarried patiently on my vanity as I straightened my unruly long hair.  It has been wrinkled and smushed into my sensible teaching slacks waiting for my hand to grasp it, grip it, crinkle it in my white knuckled fist when desperate thoughts wove within my daily routine; in between my reading lessons and correcting spelling tests, when walking down a quiet hall or standing robot-like waiting for the copier to finish spitting out the day's assignments.

It's that french phrase that makes the quote stand out for me:  Le petit bonheur--small moments of happiness.  Such a simple but profound idea and one I am sure we could all lean on every once in awhile.  When the thought of tomorrow is worrisome and heavy--concentrate instead on what is good and satisfying even if it is small.  It is the precious present that will get you through until you feel strong enough to tackle the "unknown tomorrows" that we all have.      

So that's what I did this week. I marked, noticed and counted my petit bonheur, and if you'll indulge me, I'd like to share with you some of the happiest moments if not only to remind myself of the joie de vivre, but also perhaps to help someone else who may be in the "deep downs" find some light even in what seems the blackest of times.   

Ma Petit Bonheur

1.  Ila has taken to imitating a rabbit when the bunny picture shows up in her favorite book.  It is the most precious thing I have ever witnessed.  Her chubby cheeks move up and down  in tandem with her rosy pink nose and her eyes get squinty.  Le Petit Bonheur...

2.  This weekend my sixteen year old asked...I repeat....ASKED to accompany us on a shopping trip to The Christmas Tree Shop.  He sat in the backseat with Ila, sang Sesame Street Songs with her and had several easy conversations with us about school, about Christmas, about his future.  

3.  The same 16 year old told me last week that our house was "a home"...a home.  Two words never sounded so good.

4.  The crock pot...YES I said the crock pot.  DEFINITELY a petit bonheur.  Especially when my hubby uses it.  This past week I feasted on spaghetti  with homemade sauce and meatballs the size of baseballs.  I came home today to the creamiest cheesiest potato and ham soup that the world has ever eaten.  It was paired with thick slabs of farmer's wheat bread that he grilled with cheddar cheese; a perfect meal for a rainy fall night--Yes?  Le petit bonheur!

5.  Then of course there is bath time with Ila.  There are SO many petit bonheurs during this daily 15 minutes I am not sure I even know where to start.  How about that Buddha belly so full after a delicious crock pot dinner.  Before putting her into the warm bath water there's nothing like the squealing giggles she lets loose when I blow raspberries on that sweet round tummy...le petit bonheur.  Each night she does this incredibly endearing thing where she grabs her rubber ducky, points her chubby finger at me and grunts.  This is my music cue and at that moment I begin my rendition of "Rubber Ducky," my voice echoing off the white tiled wall.  She leans against the back of the tub and twirls her yellow duck interjecting her rudimentary language where she can.  But the happiest part of the bath has to be towel time.  Wrapping her in that purple heavy cotton "princess" towel with a crown for the hood, she squirms and wriggles happily in my arms.  The warmth of her body seeps through the towel right into my soul.  I put my nose on the top of her wet hair and breath in deeeeeeply.  When drying her off on the bathroom sink's counter I kiss her shoulders, her round knees, the bottoms of her tiny feet, her hands and right on up her arms to her arm pits--all with no resistance ( a rare moment!)  She anticipates this routine sitting mesmerized with each kiss and then bursts out into her heartiest belly laugh when her arms get kissed. That delightful sound floats up out of her mouth into the steamy bathroom and strokes my cheek like a soothing hand.  Best of all, she'll snuggle into the crook of my neck all the way down the hall to her room.  I almost hate to put her down on her changing table.  Bath time...le petit bonheur.

6.  Le petit bonheur, a small happiness, doesn't seem to fit this next one.  I mean my Facebook friend, Suz, must have the most giant personality that the world has ever experienced.   I am not sure if she knows of the jovialities and super smiles she spreads throughout the world of Facebook.  To those who don't know her or have never read her statuses, I call her the female Robin Williams.  This woman is freaking hilarious.  During one teary wallowing moment, I turned on my computer to read this status posted by my friend, " So I'm checking out at the grocery and the comedian/cashier dude holds up the 2 pack of dog bones and asks, "for your husband?"  I replied, "well, he gets bored when he's in the dog house...plus it gives him clean breath."Or how about this one "So. my 17 year old big dude is trying to pick a 'sexy' name for his car.  hubby has googled 'sexy names' and is reading htem off in a strange(ie. sultry) voice.  we're actually having a debate in the kitchen over this.  seriously.  ::eyeroll:: " --If you ever need a moment of laughter be sure to visit her world at suzpatrick.blogspot.com!  

And now for some truly tiny petit bonheur!

A.  Palmer's Cocoa Butter Oil massaged into my tired feet at the end of the day.
B.  A husband who knows that talk is cheap but massaging my feet is PRICELESS.
C.  A full tank of gas when I am in a hurry.
D.  A call out of the blue that showers me with understanding and advice from a best friend in Tampa.
E.  Grape infused vodka, Dole All Natural Pink Lemonade, Perrier...together....yum!
F.  Nestle's Tollhouse Ice Cream Sandwiches...nothing else to say about THAT one!
G.  The Sunday NY Times Book Review.
H.  A virtual trip to Amazon.com after reading the book review.  This week I bought --To the End of the Land by David Grossman.  Each day I look forward to a jaunt to the mailbox to pick up a prized possession--a book and devour its words.

Le petit bonheur.  Le petit bonheur.  Le petit bonheur.  Look for it.  Listen to it.  Learn from it.  Love it.  I guarantee that those small happinesses will add up to Le Grand Bonheur--a great big ginormous contentment-- that outshines those scary tomorrows and gives us palpable energy we need to take us forward. 



11 comments:

  1. Enjoyed this story so much...made me take pause to be thankful for my Le petit bonheur's. Thanks for the reminding us of everyday belssings, Logan.

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  2. I love this one. Your column is my weekly bonheur as well. This list made me smile. I am glad after the time you have had lately, that you took the time to do this. You need to attach some Ila videos, too. Mes petits bonheurs this week: 1) seeing my son tie a kindergartners cleats on the opposing team in the middle of a soccer game, 2) seeing my son read piles of books to his little sister, 3) overhearing students talking about me saying something sweet, 4) starting holiday music already as my son rehearses for his holiday play for drama club, and 5) hearing my daughter read like a champ at 4.

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  3. Thanks for such a great reminder to enjoy the little things. My Le petit bonheur...#1) quiet conversations I gave with my 4 year old when I'm tucking him in. I learned this week that he felt sad that he couldn't catch a ball as well as the other kids in his preschool class. I wonder how long I'll have that little pleasure. #2) when my 2 yr old snuggles with me, often for only 30 seconds or so, but I'll take it! #3) carving pumpkins together as a family.

    Now that I'm thinking about it, there are so many! Thanks!!

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  4. I love this post Logan!
    You know, I believe if all folks were more in tune with their "petit Bonheurs" the world would be a much less crabby place. :-). The big moments, are truly gifts, but it is a steady diet of little ones that nourish and sustain.

    As a long ago, newly single mom of two children still in diapers and carseats, it was the little postcard glimpse of the Pacific Ocean as I crested the hill, almost home at the end of another long day, to the tiny rented cottage where I spent that first awful winter.

    It is shared laughter over the worst sort of groan producing pun, only my oldest son and I seem to relish.

    Cracking up in bed the last few nights, reading Eat, Pray, Love, before I sleep.

    It is the quiet moments my husband of 17 years still reaches for my hand as we walk with the dogs.

    The way the brilliant blue sky emerges out of the midst of a Vermont winter, and you know you would not want to be anywhere else on earth.

    It is the moment you are just lucky enough to observe a student turning the corner from frustration, to success.

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  5. I love this post Logan!
    You know, I believe if all folks were more in tune with their "petit Bonheurs" the world would be a much less crabby place. :-). The big moments, are truly gifts, but it is a steady diet of little ones that nourish and sustain.

    As a long ago, newly single mom of two children still in diapers and carseats, it was the little postcard glimpse of the Pacific Ocean as I crested the hill, almost home at the end of another long day, to the tiny rented cottage where I spent that first awful winter.

    It is shared laughter over the worst sort of groan producing pun, only my oldest son and I seem to relish.

    Cracking up in bed the last few nights, reading Eat, Pray, Love, before I sleep.

    It is the quiet moments my husband of 17 years still reaches for my hand as we walk with the dogs.

    The way the brilliant blue sky emerges out of the midst of a Vermont winter, and you know you would not want to be anywhere else on earth.

    It is the moment you are just lucky enough to observe a student turning the corner from frustration, to success.

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  6. Great column Logan. Here are some of mine.

    Witnessing my husband's cousin walking down the aisle as a bridesmaid at her sister's wedding. She was in a car accident 2 years ago with a prognosis so very grim. It was a miracle she was even there at all. But she was there walking and smiling. It was breathtaking.

    Listening to the banter and laughter between the two 16 year old boys in my family room. Always such a treat!

    My 12 year old beagle bounding around the house like a puppy just begging someone to play!

    My 16 year old making chocolate chip cookies.

    Seeing my neighborhood being dressed in festive Halloween lights and "ghoulishness"

    Le petit bonheur are all around us. Thanks for the reminder.

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  7. Thanks for this... a perfect blog on a week I so desperately needed it.

    1) Reading my sister's blog and knowing that she speaks from the heart with such honesty and poise.

    2) Having Paul cook his red sauce for me after a really long day at school.

    3) When Elvis, my cat, cuddles with me on the sofa.

    4) Singing along with a Broadway musical on the car ride to and from school.

    5) Lunch with the girls in the middle of the school day. It gets me through the remaining hours.

    6) A simple email from my best friend usually puts a smile on my face when I need it most.

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  8. Reading your blog in the dead of the night... Le Petit Bonheur...

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  9. Thanks for making us stop to thank and appreciate those moments...

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  10. Thanks for your email...I look forward to reading your blog!

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  11. I needed to read this today--thank you. Today, I'll remember to appreciate the little things. I LOVE your blog and am following from the hop.

    ecwrites.blogspot.com

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