I’m not sure about this being a thread topic, but something came to mind this morning that I thought I’d throw out here in OD and see what happens.

It’s often been said “It’s the little things that make….”followed by any of a zillion topics.

Today I had one of those moments related to “It’s the little things that make life good.”
Actually more of a “You know your life is good, when….”

To me, it’s not about money…. A great career…. A pretty wife….Fast cars….

This morning I made my sons PB&J for his school lunch and used up the last of the jelly. I rinsed out the empty jar and turned to put it in the recycle bin, and realized I'd better keep it instead. Something in my head clicked, and I heard myself thinking: “You know your life is good, when you keep empty jelly jars for your kids to collect bugs in.” and the visions of them doing just that.

With all that’s going on in the world around us. I’m thinking there has to be some truth in that.

Call this corny if you must. But I’m wondering about what some of the things you folks think are the “little things” that make you realize you’ve actually got it pretty good.

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

Excellent thread.

1. Waking up on this side of the grass.
2. Watching the fire flys in summer time.

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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

You know your life is good, when there's someone "out there" who loves you and cares about you, even if they're not close at hand at the moment.

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Anybody who calls that corny probably doesn't have a life, because what you describe IS life.

Our eighth anniversary was yesterday. I received a package of photos from a recent trip to Disney World monday from my parents, which I didn't open. To celebrate our anniversary, we sat on the floor with a 'picknick' supper with our 2 and 4 yo daughters and looked at the 100 or so pictures my parents sent of our trip. After bath time, we made a pallet and 'camped out' on the floor for the night (waiting for a tornado to rip the roof off)



We could have gotten a baby sitter and called Mercury Air and gone to Wyo. to ski for the day......

Coming home from a day of work (or more accurately, after reading a bunch of inane posts that I've contributed to).....and have my 2 year old daughter great me with a smile and say in her just blossoming grasp of the english language -"hi there daddy".

Or - finding a free boat on craigslist only to have my Mshop friends piss on my foolish dreams

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1981 240d - 135k - Arlene

Congratulations, JD. Yeah, it IS the little things that make life what it is. Sometimes just walking out my back door onto the deck and watching the sun come up makes my day.

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Hey, what are forum friends for, if not to piss on your dreams. We're here for you, buddy!

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Most of my "life is good" moments involve my kids and my family. Loved the OP btw.
One great moment is when you are trying to get a point to the kids and they all of a sudden "get it". It's cool whether they are 2 or 18. Of course some of those points you are trying to make at age 2 finally sink in by age 18.

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1983 M-B 240D-Gone too.
1976 M-B 300D-Departed.

"Good" is the worst enemy of "Great".

My younger daughter cooked dinner last night and we sat down and ate it together. We had a nice chat over dinner. Times like that are priceless.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I just didn’t want to see his “foolish dream” become a “real nightmare”.

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

In all seriousness, despite my dashed dreams - that is exactly what I needed to hear - and why I posted....but enough about that

Dee8go's and JD's tales reminds me of another one.....my oldest daughter just turned 8 last month. On her birthday, I took her out into the woods, made a big campfire, cooked her breakfast on the coleman stove and sat around in the woods talking, waitingfor the sun to rise, in 20 degree weather.....and she absolutely loved it. It was priceless - I couldn't believe she wanted to do it (she's VERY girly - like her mother).

Good times - and good thread, thanks WVO.

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1981 240d - 135k - Arlene

That's what REAL friends do . . .

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I come home (I'm sometimes on the road for a few weeks) to a 21-month old who says "ello daDEE"

And a wife that always gives me a hug, if not more.

No, my life is not bad

(even if the A/C compressor on my Jetta failed - don't tell Hattie =)


-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

Every day I look forward to going home at lunch and having my 18moS fall asleep on my chest for his nap and taking one along with him.

Every night I look forward to falling asleep on the couch with my 5yoS, who we should really have falling asleep on his own. He takes his pillow and blanket to one end and I take a pillow to the other end, steal part of his blanket and try to avoid his playfull kicks that happen to land in the sensitive zone. He's the one with Down syndrome and, I don't know, I just feel overly protective and don't ever want to let him go. Little things like first words, first steps, learning numbers and letters, singing kids songs that I just took forgranted with my 1st 2 (and probably with my youngest) are a huge deal when they come a year or two later than with a "typical" kid.

There's an awful lot of sleeping going on there considering I never feel like I've gotten enough sleep.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Excellent thread. This is from a "letter" I'm writing my 7 year old. I jot down the funny things he does and describe special times we've had together. He's 7 now and I aspire to keep it up until he's 18. (The "letter" is already 80 pages spread over three MS Word docs.)

"We spent the afternoon at the marina visiting with friends. You were a little bored, but you perked up when your mom gave you some bread to feed the fish. Then you built a teepee on the pontoon boat using the poles that hold up the cover. You sat in there for a long time and played a little video game.

We left about sunset and went half way home to our favorite grilling cove. We dropped anchor and shut off the motor. The IPOD was playing some early Robert Earl Keen and then Steve Earle. Your mom fixed us a wonderful meal of mushroom-swiss burgers, black bean and corn salad, and Rice Pilaf. Your mom and I were sitting on the sun pad and you were up front kneeling on the floor with your back to us eating and grooving to the music. When a fun song came on, you spontaneously popped up and did the dance of a six year old. You bobbed and bounced and waved your arms in the air and you didn't care who was watching. Your mom and I sat in the back and giggled softly.

After supper was done and everything was stowed, we three snuggled together in the warm darkness. A dog barked in the distance and a blue heron, or maybe an egret, squawked from the top of a tree. I was lying on my back on the sun pad with you on top of me in my arms. Your mom was softly resting against us on the back seat. The boat's bimini top was folded and tucked neatly in its boot right above us and, if I moved my head just a little to the left, it shielded my eyes from the anchor light. Dozens of little bugs illuminated by the light darted wildly back and forth. They glowed against the back drop of dark clear sky and they dragged blazing trails when I squinted my eyes. I wondered to myself what drives them in their frenzied quest for immolation.

We silently stared at the sky and marveled at the bazillion, yes bazillion, stars above us. You accurately pointed out the Big Dipper to me. Then we remembered the Perseid Meteor Showers are near their peak right now. Ok, now we are on a mission to see shooting stars. Stare at the sky and don't blink because you might miss one. There was a little one. Cool. Mom missed it but you and I saw it. At least you told me you did. A few moments later, another. Then, with no warning or introduction, a really good one zooms across the whole sky right above us. It's strange. There is no sound. It's like a bottle rocket and we are deaf. But no doubt, we all saw that one.

Too soon we realize it's late. We reluctantly pack up, haul anchor and head for home. "

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Behind every great man is a great woman. Behind every great woman is a great behind.