In the midst of this terribleness, my parents are still finding ways to be nice. It's like they need to be good people to survive. My mom is giving away fabric, and Dad cleaned the car for her the other day. It was sweet.
It's easy to succumb to depression and wallow in your own self-pity. It's easy to break the rules and go outside. It's easy to ignore reality. It's easy to live life the way you to used to live it. Truth is... life isn't easy anymore. In spite of all the hardships, my parents still find ways to show love for each other.
It's hard to be good in a time of evil. I don't even know how long the list is of things my parents do for each other. The point is to appreciate the little things that the person around you is doing because they are in this shit too. In spite of the doom and gloom negativity surrounding us, my parents still discover ways to be nice to one another and the rest of the family.
I used to hate walking the dog. And when I say, "hate," I mean "loathe" walking the dog. Our dog's name is Sophie. She's a Chug. A Chihuahua Pug. She's ridiculously adorable. Because of her looks, Sophie is the main attraction at the park and with that comes interacting with people. It's not the best time to be interacting with people. But then I started thinking about the times when Sophie would not be with us. When these walks would be absent from my life. When she would be gone. Depressing, huh.
Spend some time today appreciating the presence of the little things in your life. It can be people, animals, places or things, but try your best to smile and show your gratitude. It's still hard for me to walk Sophie, but she is one of the little things I appreciate. While there will be a day that these walks will perish, I know that today is not that day and it makes me smile. It's about the little things!- Matthew John Meagher
