The God of Small Things.....

Yes I know sometime has passed since I last wrote, but I was in the midst of recovering from one of the many new domestic injuries I keep getting. Lucky for me this one left my thumb in several bandages and gave me the electricution hairstyle that caused many of my coworkers to wonder if I had fallen off the fashion bandwagon and into a bath tub filled with electric cords....lol

But I have now recovered and am sitting in my cute little apartment, wondering if it will ever feel like home. Whille the walls and shelves are filled with pictures and decor, I cant really fathom that this is really permanent and not some hotel room I have been forced to stay in while working. In fact the first few weeks here, I woke up in the mornings and opened the door to my apartment to see if the paper would be there :S But quickly I have learned that maid service doesn't exist in condo's and no one makes your bed and leaves chocolates on your pillow or free bottles of water which have now become a luxury to me.

And its not that I don't like it, becuase I love it. I just wonder how all these hotel rooms I have stayed in before became like home faster than something that is actually permanent like my apartment. I mean in just a few short days my Ugandan house became like this security blanket that I still think about at night and whille driving along hwy 1 the west coast left me glowing just as radiant as the sun and taking the tube London just felt like second nature. And yes I do know that the idea of settling into something takes sometime...maybe I am just beginning to wonder if this is really home for me and if it is, what's missing from the equation?

Regardless I will tell you one thing. Moving out has reminded me all over again about the "little things" and why I love them soo much, its almost like I have learnt to just cherish them that much more...

Let's face it, I have never been the girl to like expensive jewlry and gifts and while I wouldn't mind getting me some tiffany's at the end of the day its a single gerber daisy, a sweet comment and the effort and time that make the difference. The best gifts are the one's that show that you actually had to do more then walk into a store and pick something out...they show that you actually have begun to understand the people that surround you and are taking the time to show them that you have been listing and watching this whole time...

With that being said, I have begun a tradition that is what reminded of the little things. On Tuesday's I make the trek up to the Hill and slumber party it up with my rents. Every Monday Night as I pack my bag, I curse the idea of having to stay there, but then I get there and its as simple as my dad waiting on the driveway with open arms, or my mom having baked a cake for me that always causes me to tear up as I head home. Last nite, I continued the Tuesday night tradition. After a yummy dinner and some TV with the parentals, I headed for a shower. When I came out of the bathroom the house was dark and I knew that meant my parents had fallen asleep and a part of me was sad that I didn't get to say good night to them, becuase as my sister will agree - "goodnight hugs and kisses" are a tradition in our household. Anyways, as I headed into my room, there on my bed lay a note:

Good Night (insert dad's pet name that CAN NEVER BE REVEALED!) - Love daddy

Yes, i am a sap because I totally teared up. But thats just it. It was as if my dad just knew I would be sad that I didn't get to say good nite...And it was that Little note written on scrap paper that made any stress from the day disappear.

And with that I leave you all with the question of - WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAT BACK LOOKED AT THE LITTLE THINGS AND REALIZED JUST HOW LUCKY YOU WERE? shity days are shity days and they will continue on forever - but its the people that make you smile most on those days that really understand "The God of Small Things" and those are the people you should surround yourself with alll the time :)

Til Next Time
- A