“One of the things (Uncle Alex) found objectionable about human beings was that they so rarely noticed it when they were happy. He himself did his best to acknowledge it when times were sweet. We would be drinking lemonade in the shade of an apple tree in the summertime, and Uncle Alex would interrupt the conversation to say, “If this isn’t nice, what is?”
So I hope that you will do the same for the rest of your lives. When things are going sweetly and peacefully, please pause a moment, and then say out loud, “If this isn’t nice, what is?” – Kurt Vonnegut
Image:Lemonade by tinyfroglet via Flickr.
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
Thank you for the reminder! Everything is very, very nice so I needed a minute to stop, pause and be grateful for my many blessings. Absolutely love your writing and love your blog.
Thanks, Amy. I love this particular quote because it instantly reframes life through the perspective of gratitude.
I love this Rudri! It seems odd that we have to be reminded to appreciate the many good things in our lives. My book that I write gratitudes in nightly helps me.
Kathie – I love that you are cultivating a daily practice of penning your gratitude list. I think it paves the way to less complaining and more living.
Yes! The sweet reminder to recognize the goodness in our lives. Xox
I love this quote. It’s a great way to embrace what is, instead of focusing on what isn’t.