When we look back on a given year, it’s easy to identify the massive oak trees and tall pines that stand as signposts: the weddings and the funerals, the epic vacations, and the major accomplishments. But we often overlook the small blessings – the birds within the trees, if you will.

I have a simple practice that makes it easier to spot those so-called birds. Once a day, I write down one happy moment from the day before. That’s it. One moment. One line. No paragraph or story or context.

This collection of happy moments become souvenirs of a wonderful journey. Perhaps even more than the achievements and milestones, they give me a feeling of aliveness and a sense that my year was spent well. They’re reminders of what makes life worth living, and that I’ve been blessed in myriad ways, despite the defeats and sorrows that also populated the previous year.

It’s easy to overlook the small songbirds hidden in the forest of our life. But when we invest a few seconds to jot down one happy moment a day, reading them at the end of the month or year is magical. It’s like experiencing a sublime symphony, with each note harmoniously contributing its voice to a melody that slowly builds to a soaring crescendo of gratitude.

It becomes a hallelujah chorus, exulting the glorious gift of being alive.

product details

This colorful artwork by Jason Kotecki comes in a variety of sizes.

24"x24" Original Painting. Available.