Sometimes They Just Want A Burger

“Some people don’t always want steak. Sometimes they just want a burger.”


My husband has an uncanny knack for knowing just what to say to me...and when to say it. The problem is, at least for my ego, the moment at which he shares his insightful adages is NOT usually the moment my over-achieving self wants to acknowledge the truth behind his words. This moment was no different.


Still, I got it. He was telling me that everything doesn’t have to be perfect all the time—or any of the time for that matter. Sometimes a big, juicy, inexpensive hamburger is just as satisfying as a pricey, perfectly cooked steak. I didn’t want to admit it, but he was right.


What I do admit is that I am a perfectionist. In my head, I expect my life to unfold like the carefully scripted scenes in a movie, for the rooms in my home to look like those photographed in the pages of Real Simple or Better Homes & Gardens magazines. I’m a fan of BIG. I’m a fan of the unusual, the exciting and life’s mountain-top experiences.


But what I’m realizing is that there is a lot more worth noticing—and celebrating—between that first step at the base of the mountain and the view at the top. While on my quest to the summit, did I notice the lush side of the hill painted with wildflowers? Did I stop to sense the sun warming my skin? Did I hear the calls and songs of the birds in the trees?


Not to get too carried away with metaphors and imagery, but what I’m trying to say is that reaching the top of our mountains is really the result of all the smaller steps we’ve taken in between. It’s life’s “stepping stones” that bring us to our life’s milestones.


For years, I’ve put off writing a blog because I felt I didn’t have the “perfect” idea. What on earth could I write that people would want to spend even a minute reading? But lately, I’ve found myself wondering if it’s necessary for a blog to be of filet mignon status in order to be enjoyed. Maybe all readers really want is a blog the equivalent of a plain, ol’ satisfying burger. Something that is relatable...something that celebrates everyday commonness...something that recognizes the tiny successes hidden the little things.


So this is it. A place to share, remember and applaud life’s little joys and simple successes. A place to celebrate the small stuff...because in the end it’s the little stuff that makes up the big stuff.