“Don’t sweat the small stuff,” they say, followed quickly by, “It’s all small stuff.” My list below may be small stuff, but it’s the stuff that makes my cork rise, the stuff of ahhhhh, the stuff that for a moment makes all the other nonsense melt away.
An incomplete list…
* blue skies with puffy clouds, or without
* the symmetry of bridges – from underneath
* the simple joy of my dog’s undying love for me, my family, for a walk, for life
* the sweat from a good, hard run
* beets, a deep purple-red, rich with earthy sweetness
* the immensity of a freighter in a harbor
* the profound connection of real, true, shared laughter
* the soft warmth of purring cat belly
* the mind pictures created by words on a page
* the intimacy of great art
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Jessica Ciosek writes and lives in New York City. Her short story appeared in the “Mothers” issue of Minerva Rising.
Art: Jefflombardo.com
