This last week I came upon a cartoon of a comical, happy-looking cow with her tail up in the air, her eyes closed, and standing on great big feet. She was washing the hair on her calf’s forehead.

By the looks of things, it appeared that the cow’s lovable licks were pretty wet and sloppy, too. The cartoon caused me to chuckle. It also got me to thinking that small things, like the cartoon, make me feel good, which in turn make my whole body feel good, and having a healthy body is a big thing.

So then I got to thinking about the other small things in my life that make me happy. (It’s also interesting to note that most of them don’t cost anything, either – not even a dime.) They include the following:

• Watching a cow lick her calf
• Sun shining on autumn leaves
• Pumpkins
• Red socks
• Cows contentedly chewing on their hay
• A baby’s tiny hands
• A Dad’s big hands as he cradles a child
• The scent of roses
• The taste of a strawberry ripened on the plant
• The sounds of children at play
• A sunny autumn day
• Strawberry ice cream
• Spending time with my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren
• Hunting up zucchinis on garden plants
• Cuddling up under a quilt on a cold night
• Dry leaves crunching under my feet
• Freshly-laundered sheets and pillowcases
• Hanging clothes on a clothesline
• The color pink
• Daisies
• A pot of “prairie flowers” (really violas)
• Scarecrows
• The works of Mark Twain
• Writing in a café while enjoying coffee
• A Winnie-the-Pooh cookie jar
• Twinkling lights on a Christmas tree
• My childhood dolls and homemade cradle
• Elephants, both adults and babies
• Kittens cuddled up together in the sun
• Comical Thanksgiving turkey sitting on a shelf
• Calves playing in a pasture
• Hot homemade bread and butter
• A robin’s song on a rainy day
• A garden being watered on a hot day
• Lemonade
• Picking pea pods from plants in the garden
• A cookie jar that “moos”

It’s really amazing that the more I think about my favorite things, the more I realize just how many of them there actually are, and as small as they may seem, they’re really a big deal.