Finding the smiles.

I find that it is the small things in life which brings the biggest smile to your face.

This was definitely true of yesterday. As I was walking through Stratford on my way home from work I noticed a flower stand. I walk past this stand every day, twice a day, admiring their beautiful flowers from afar, yet I have never stopped. Every day I walk past it during my busy commute, during which all I can think about is getting on to the train or the tube and then my next destination, to home or work.

Yet yesterday I found myself stopping. You see I have recently started a new job in London, but I don’t live there. I have moved back into my parents’ house while I settle into my new working environment (yes, I am now one of those people, I think they call us the boomerang kids).

Although due to them living in the countryside I have to drive to the station every day. As my train ticket is so expensive my mum offered to drive me to the station in the morning and pick me up in the evening. Everyday.  To do this she leaves home earlier, gets to work earlier and gets home in evening later.

I am nearly 23 years old, my parents definitely did not expect me to move back home. Even if it is just for a small period of time. Yet like so many people my age it was the logical option, I need to save some money and think about my options. They accepted me back with open arms, knowing that it was the best thing for me at this time. The ultimate aim is to move to London in a few months, but I could not do that right away. So, they have to suffer (joke, they love me home) with my presence once again.

Back to Stratford, at the flower stand, I saw my mum’s favourite flowers. Freesias. All my life she has said how these were her favourite flowers, they were her mother’s before her and it is a lovely reminder of my Grandma every time they are in our house.

In the spur of the moment I bought a bunch for her. I smelt them all the way home on the train making sure not to knock them on the journey, because what good would it do if they did not survive the travel!

When I walked up to my mum’s car and gave her the flowers she had the biggest smile on her face, something which didn’t take any time out of my day made hers a whole lot brighter.

Sometimes we forget that it is the small things, the things that you don’t even think about, the spur of the moment decisions, the unexpected however great or small are the things which bring the biggest smile to someone’s face!

I just wanted to make sure she knew how appreciative I was for her going out of her way to help me. My Mum and Dad are always there for me and sometimes I forget to make sure that they know how much I appreciate it.