Counting our blessings, sublime to ridiculous

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Of course it isn’t just the little things that count; you need the big things in place to even think about the little things. You must have good health, people to love, a roof over your head, food on your table, something useful to do in the world, a dog at your side and peace of mind.

This year, as I count my blessings, the Big Seven, mentioned above, come to mind first. And then I begin to think about what else I’m grateful for on an everyday basis, what enhances my life minute to minute and hour to hour. And I want to say how thankful I am for these things, too — the trivial delights that brighten each day.

What are your daily gifts?

For me, the first (and this isn’t a commercial) is my morning cup of coffee. Recently, several friends joined me for a passionate discussion of the coffee we drink, especially right after we wake up. No one is indifferent on the subject. I discovered Café Bustelo several years ago. It’s a Cuban coffee, very strong, very cheap, vacuum-packed in a brick shape. When local stores stopped carrying the brand, I found it online and ordered a carton of coffee bricks from Walmart. Now I’m set for months.

In the world of small, self-indulgent joys, allow me to mention my Kindle Fire. Not an iPad, not just a Kindle, the nifty device holds all my books and all my movies. It gives me online access to my email and allows me to watch Netflix, whether I’m on my treadmill or tucked into a window seat on JetBlue.

Lest you think me incorrigibly materialistic, a singular daily blessing is watching the last hurrah of our fading autumn leaves. The season turns and life goes on and it feels so good to be part of the cycle. “Nothing gold can stay,” Robert Frost said, and so these withered leaves herald the coming winter.

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