What made me smile this week

What made you smile this week?

For someone who finds happiness in the littlest and strangest things, it would be an impossible task to write about one thing that made me smile in a day, more so in a week. So I have decided to list down a few things that made me smile recently.

Family time – As the saying goes, "every cloud has a silver lining"; if there was one positive thing that came out of this pandemic, it would be spending some quality time with my family. We often take advantage of our time and only in times like these that we realise how precious time really is; so precious that we should spend it doing things to better ourselves, and with people that matter the most in our lives. 

Growing up, I never liked being at home. Back in my teenage years, like a normal teenager, all I wanted to do was to hangout with my "friends". There was a point when my parents were away and my sisters and I lived with our aunt for a few years. At that time, in a way, I got the freedom that I had always longed for, and I loved it. I loved going on side trips after school and going home late – like 8pm. God, those were good times. Anyhow, as I was saying, I am grateful for the extra time that I now get to spend with my loved ones no matter how unusual the current circumstance is.

Our Christmas tree – Building our tree is the one thing that I always look forward to in the run up to Christmas. Although it's a little bit different this year, it has given me the same warmth in my heart.

Conversation with someone I look up to – The other day, I sent a DM to someone I look up to about the new product that she is launching soon. To my surprise, within a few seconds, she replied! Hahaha, although we just talked business, it made me happy. She inspires me a lot and I aspire to have the same drive as she does in running her businesses, and in continually improving herself.

That 2-hour Skype call with an old friend – Last Thursday, I got to catch-up with an old friend whom I hadn't seen or talked to in a while. We were "best friends" in high school. I don't remember how and why we became so but I did consider her as my best friend. She looked after me, and having her by my side gave me the comfort and care that I have had always yearned for. Regardless, we spent over 2 hours reminiscing our high-school days, sharing our life experiences, plans in life, and more. It was a hearty session. I missed her. I missed talking to someone familiar – someone who actually knew me.