My neighbor, Leo, is 85 and retired.
But he never stops moving, which is something I really admire about him.
He does all sorts of fun little woodworking projects in his garage.
Leo often brings me the leftover pieces to use as kindling in my backyard fire pit.
This past week, he gave me three buckets full of scraps.
Pieces of wood in all shapes and sizes.
Squares, circles, triangles, even little branches he finds in the yard.
All of them are useful to help me get the fire started on a beautiful summer night.
It's not always easy to get a fire going. You can't just put the big logs on, light a match and expect to see flames immediately.
Sometimes you have to start small, with a few little pieces that catch fire first and gradually build enough heat to set the big logs ablaze.
In life, we need kindling too.
A foundation of small experiences, of all shapes and sizes.
Moments of joy and purpose that ignite the fire that fuels us.
Things like this:
A hug from someone we love
A smile from a stranger when we're out for a walk
A phone call from a good friend
The birds chirping in our backyards
A compliment for a job well done
The sounds of children's laughter
Live music that makes us dance and sing
The stars on a clear night
Going to bed exhausted after a long, productive day
Laughing until our cheeks hurt
The little things that warm our hearts.
When life is really hard, it can be easy to overlook the kindling that exists all around us.
And we won't always have someone to bring a bucket of it to us with a little note inside.
But it's there. We just have to pause and notice it.
I want you to stop for just a second right now. Take a deep breath.
Think about three things this week that made you smile.
There's your kindling.
Use it to light the fire in your life.
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