Seeing G-d in the Small Print
 
Life is good…life is very good. There is so much I have to be grateful for and sometimes it scares me...Why did G-d handpick me for such glorious blessings? I am thinking that perhaps it's because I have been thanking Him on a daily basis, by recognizing Him in every aspect of my life, large and small alike.

I'll explain what I mean: I have been blissfully married for six months and I could not be happier. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly though, it is not the big things that do it for me – like talk of buying a house, or having children – but rather, the little things. It's the sharing on an everyday basis that I think I'm most in awe of and grateful for...being married to Daniel really gives me a glimpse of G-d many times each day.

There is not much one does completely independently once one is married. I thought that would bother me (having lived alone for 34 years) but instead, it stuns and excites me. We go to shul together; to the market together; we're usually in the car together and none of it ever gets boring or mundane. I never wish I was doing something else, or that he wasn't around. Every time I see him I love him anew. I guess there is just always something else to see. I feel a bit like a small child who's not been tainted by life yet…just notices everything around him that others take for granted...Simply put, that child gets to see G-d in the small print every day…and so do I.

Interestingly, the little things excite me even more today than they did when we were first married. I like hearing Daniel answer the phone; I enjoy watching him get out of bed in the morning; I get pleasure when he laughs at a TV show. None of these things are earth shattering, but somehow they are to me. Because each moment of each day I am given a new experience to enjoy, and I am so glad I am able to recognize that.

I love stretching over to Daniel's side of the bed to see if he's finally made it to sleep; I love watching Gal snuggle him. I like talking to him about who's going to get the milk; I enjoy surprising him with little treats from the market; I like letting him take care of things in the house and build the succah; I like how I go and get a photo printed from the shop and he finds a spot for it in the house…we're doing everything together and that was how G-d intended man to live.

But why do I enjoy those things so much? Because I am able to see life in small doses and not get caught up in the big picture and the big "things" all the time. It doesn't sound much writing about it here, but having enjoyed G-d in the small print for the last six months, I can safely say it really is the best way of relating to our Creator.

Of course, the big things are still great too – I never get tired of hearing "I love you," which thankfully I do hear a lot. But still, most of all, it's the little things that do it for me. Life is primarily about sharing; it's about doing things together; it's about having your best friend around the whole time.

It probably doesn't sound like this is such a revolutionary report at our six month milestone. But if you think about it, it really is. If I've learnt anything in life it's this: being grateful for what seems like the "little things" is a true recognition, appreciation and gratitude of G-d.

We all too often forget to be stunned by the miracle of waking up; seeing the sun rise and set; putting one foot in front of the other and successfully walking, etc., etc. But to those who do understand the everyday miracles and blessings G-d bestows upon us continuously, life is so much richer. Life is so much more fulfilling when we manage to see G-d in the small print.

Emma