"Simple pleasures are the best
All the little things that make you
smile and glow
all the things you know
Life's simple pleasures are the best."
--Andy Williams, singing in a Van Camp Pork & Beans commercial from the 70s
Damn, I love that song. Got goosebumps every time that ad was on. Every time.
My love of that song comes from a combination of things--Williams' silky-smooth voice, the catchy tune and those lyrics.
Ah, those lyrics. . . .
Really, what's not to love about simple pleasures? Especially this time of year, when life can be anything but simple?
As I think about yesterday--Christmas day--I keep coming back to its essence--spending time with people I love. Ask me about it and I'll skip right over the new pajamas, the breakfast casserole, the apropos tabletop decor and put my focus--and love--on the people.
Yes, I have been known to spin my lazy ways in such a way that--from a distance, with a pair of squinting, mediocre eyes--they might actually be mistaken for something almost admirable. But I believe my appreciation for simple living doesn't require a lot of spin to maintain its essential goodness.
Why simple living hasn't caught on more is one of those bewildering things to me.
It's as though we can't quite convince ourselves of the importance or beauty of something if all it requires of us is to show up and enjoy it.
And yet, what is there that could possibly add to the beauty of a day with family or a feeder full of chickadees or a sky smeared with sunset?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
So, who really cares if we run out of stuffing? Who cares if our kids get last year's hit DVD or if our ornaments don't really match the lights on our tree?
Frankly, I don't care. And, to be honest, I hardly ever notice these things when I'm in someone else's house, either.
That's the joy of a simple mind. With the bar set low, my eyes and mind are free to enjoy the most basic of things--the joy of spending time with others, the pleasure of a nice meal, the love of a friend who doesn't expect much in return.
ENJOY VAN CAMP'S COMMERCIAL YOURSELF! Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjzinJ4QeHo
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