Okay, you know me (or you know people like me):  I am one who, for good or for ill, tends to live pretty radically in the present moment.  I'm also fairly positive, even cheerful, in any given moment - though I'm not opposed to taking any moment that demands it and thoroughly giving myself over to grief or sadness, but that's just because one has to give these things their due - recognize them for what they are and then move on, preferably back to equanimity and cheer.

Living in "this space" means I am in a good position to recognize and celebrate Small Victories. In fact, my happy life is probably made up of stringing together Small Victories and celebrating them in one way or another. 

For me, proceeding through the second half of my life here, each day is full of opportunities to "win" against the pervasive annoyances of aging, managing money or lack of same, work tasks, emotional drama around me, and suffering the presence of fools (sometimes the fool is me!).

Herewith are some categories and lists of victories:

FOOLS

I walk into the grocery store and I see this in the produce section. Immediately, I think, "What fool approved this advertisement??" [The it's is supposed to be its.)


I took out my pen and scratched out the apostrophe and wrote a note on the box: "no apostrophe."   For months, that box with my pen edits on it sat there in the produce section. I can only imagine what people thought who saw it.  Probably ran the gamut from, "What asshole know-it-all prick did that?" to "Now, Sarah honey, here's an example of what Mommy was trying to show you in your homework assignment last night."  I'd grin every time I saw it, amused at my need to correct it there on the box.  Then, one day, I walked in and I saw this:



I cheered right there in the store!  Victory! 

AGING

OMG, so much material.  Let's start with this morning.  I put my jeans on while standing, and not leaning on anything - first one leg, then the other.  This is a big deal.  It is a sign of victory over the debilitation that has been my arthritic knees the past 9 months.  It meant I am stable and strong and balanced.  I celebrate by noting this progress to my husband, to my doctor, to myself, and giving happy thanks for progress.

It is a small victory every time I make it up the stairs, or manage to get off the bus after sitting cramped for 90+ minutes (that is torture on arthritic knees) and put one foot in front of the other and walk to my office.  I celebrate this by taking a deep breath of thanks and with a smile on my face, greeting others with "Good Morning!" because it is.

It is a small victory when it hurts again and again and I have to move so slowly and I don't just sit down and cry.  I celebrate this by walking more and by quietly giving thanks for being able to keep on keeping on.

It is a small victory when I do cry but then get past it and accept the grace and beauty that is my life just as it is now.  I celebrate this by basking in the glow of what it means to be human, and feeling at one with others who suffer, offering a prayer of compassion for them.

It is a small victory when I manage to be wearing or carrying the right combination of items to help me see.  This means:

• If I wear my contacts, I also have reading glasses with me.
• If I wear my glasses, I don't drive into the sun, cause I can't wear sunglasses over them.
• If I'm driving at night, I have Gil or Mary to offer to drive because my current contacts create a circus of lights and auras and stars with any light source at night.
• If I'm driving at night without someone else to take over, that I don't get so enamored looking at all the pretty light show that I endanger myself.
• And if I want to pluck my eyebrows, I have to wear no glasses or contacts at all cause  the glasses get in the way, and with the contacts I can't see that close!

I celebrate the victories of sight by reading, driving, taking photos and writing about the beauty around me.

It is a small victory every time I clean the bathroom, empty the dishwasher, manage another load of laundry, wash the floor, vacuum or dust off the furniture.  Truthfully, after so many years of doing these tasks over and over, I am tired of it, and that work is just always there, as a by-product of living.  I look at it and just wilt sometimes and want to say, No - somebody else do it.  So.  That's why it is a small victory every time I "just do it" - as with so many things in life we do even when we don't want to!  I celebrate with the enjoyment of a cleaned up home and the satisfaction of knowing an adult still lives here and will take care of things!

Likewise cooking.  It is a small victory for me every time I manage to pull together a nice meal for the family, especially on a week night when we're all so tired from working all day.  Or even on a weekend, when we all just want a break.  Thich Nhat Hahn said, "...some people live like clouds...". That would be me.  I intuit and float my way through life.  So, managing to reach down from the clouds and pluck out a steak and bake a potato and toss a salad to the delight of the hardworking folks of this household is, each and every time, a small victory for me.  Victory over inertia and wanting-to-be-doing-something-else.  I celebrate by enjoying the food with the family and being glad that the clouds settled long enough for us to eat.

DRAMA

It is a small victory when I am able to still my mind for even a minute.  My meditation practice gives me 20 minutes at a time, but monkey mind swings and chatters all the while... until... stillness comes.  And it is as vast and beautiful as the Void and there is nothing but peace.  I celebrate this by surrendering. And by letting my heart be educated by the stillness.

It is a small victory when I can leave the gossipy drama of the workplace or the bus or family and just let it be.  Without taking sides or judging or worrying, just let it be and be compassionate for those who suffer for it.  It is a small victory to remain sanguine and supportive of my fellow humans, no matter how much of a mess they are.  I celebrate this by loving people.

It is a small victory whenever I can forgive and forget.  Grudges help no one, and hurt both parties.  Forgiveness is the best broom, the best wind, the best balm there is for cleaning up and healing.  And the resulting fresh relationship is worth celebrating. I celebrate this with an embrace, a kiss, a handshake, a touch, with grace.

It is a small victory when I feel depression coming on and I don't give into it or slide down its slippery slope.  As a woman, hormonal fluctuations throw me off kilter regularly, and it is a victory when I recognize what's going on and just hang on one more day instead of giving up.  I celebrate this with gratefulness and peace when I lay down to sleep at night.

It is a small victory that as challenges multiply in my line of work till I feel stretched and scattered and overwhelmed, I still show up; I still do a good job; I maintain a positive outlook.  I celebrate this by being there for my co-workers who are likewise stressed and who need to hear a good word.

NATURE

It is a small victory when I weed and mulch my garden.  It takes more effort now than ever, and is so worth it.  I celebrate this by delighting in the work and in the stained work clothes and in the knowledge that I am following in the footsteps of my hardworking parents.

It is a small victory to go into my garage and see two 2-ft tall mimosa trees I put in there last fall, to shelter them against the winter.  No water, no light except one window in the garage side door, and there are green buds on the bare branches. I celebrate this by remembering that growth happens even in the dark and the cold and neglect, and I reach down and touch the green in my soul that will come out some day.

It is a small victory that our fearful, neurotic dog that we rescued 1 year ago is now... happy.  He loves us.  He wags his tail (this was something he didn't do for a good 6 months) and follows us around and plays and rides in the front seat of the truck.  He's normal. I celebrate this by brushing, walking, cleaning, petting and loving this beautiful boy.


It is a small victory that the 3-inch, bare-root sticks I planted a couple years ago have grown into trees with buds ready to burst in a couple weeks.  I celebrate this by learning that growth takes time and rejoicing in the patience and care that life demands.


I could go on.  My tagline for years has been from Philo of Alexandria -

 "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

This is true.  I know it is true for me.  But, amid the battle there are many, many Small Victories that keep me going, and, more than that, keep me joyful, celebrating, learning and grateful.




Copyright (c) 2011