the little things.

"it's the little things in life..." yea, you've heard it before. It's cliche. Cutesy. Sentimental. People use it all the time to point out how often we miss the smallest things in our lives.

A thank you card or sweet note. (Thanks, Becca and Brian).

A kind compliment in passing.

A comforting hand on the small of your back.

An encouraging smile.

An extra squeeze as you release from a hug.

A helping hand.

A sweet touch.

A calming cup of warm espresso.

A hot ray of sunshine on a lazy Sunday morning.

A kiss on the forehead. 

A fresh vase of flowers.

A call from home.


Yesterday, when my mom called for her regular update, she asked about the usual - work, friends, weekend, plans etc. She pushed more than usual. She was hunting for details, the little things. My mom is a great listener and I often forget to take the time to share the small notes from my day with her. I know that since she is far away, she feels more connected when I can share silly, sweet moments with her. I filled her in on time spent with friends over the weekend. I told her about the little, but oh-so-noticeable, gestures made by the new guy (wink*wink). But I kept a few for myself...a girl has to have a little mystery.

Enjoy little things in life now because you will realize that they are big things down the road.

Get some sticky notes. Keep a journal. Blog about them. Tape them to your bathroom mirror. Take a picture. Capture the little things so that you can always remember what makes life so special.

Happy Mother's Day

Dear Mom,

How can I put into words how much I love you?

I was cleaning out my room yesterday and getting things organized to move when I found the birthday card you sent me this year. Just seeing your naturally loopy writing on the inside brought tears to my eyes.

You are such an amazing, strong, beautiful woman and "when I grow up", I can only hope to be half the woman you are. Being so far away all these years has made me really appreciate you and I so wish that I could have spend this day celebrating you!!

Through highs and lows, you've been that rock in my life that boosted be up when I was low and pulled me off the ledge when I was so high I might just start to fly. You've kept me grounded but also pushed me beyond my boundaries.

This day is about you, Mom! Thank you for drying my tears after graduation, thanks for telling me your mac and cheese recipe to win the hearts of all my guy friends....

....thank you for you advice on how to paint a chair...

Ma Famille, la mia famiglia, mi familia, min familie...

No matter how you say it, they will always be your family. (The last one is Danish by the way) You may fight, argue, yell, cry - but ten minutes later it's all blown over and no one can remember what the fight was even about. The holiday season always seems to make families go crazy. My sister is indecisive and can't tell me what she wants for Christmas and my mom just wants "happy children" - the same thing every year. Mom makes the secret Boehm family chex mix and Margaux bakes a different pie each day. I'm always frantically searching for the perfect stocking stuffers. We send tons of emails back and forth about plane reservations, airport pickups and trips up to UMASS to take Margaux to and from school. Then the house fills up kids and friends and there is always arguing over who gets to take the car out. But at the end of the day, we'll always be family. I don't think I always appreciate this simple fact.