Three Little Words

Sometimes little incidents are enough to make your day brighter. A card from a friend in the mail nearly always improves my mood. I now have a postman who delivers the mail directly to my front door. I think this is absolutely fantastic. The sound of footsteps followed by the slight squeek of the mailbox door causes me to almost jump out of my seat in excitement. Of course, my enthusiasm is most often squashed by receiving merely a handful of circulars, credit card solicitations and bills, but occasionally, a most welcome letter or a postcard is hidden amidst the junk.

My blog so far sounds like the three little words might be "mail for you!" (I refuse to advertise internet providers or very bad movies by using a slightly different phrase), but they are not. I simply got distracted by the thought of mail. Since today is a holiday and there is no chance of receiving any, I would be wasting my energy anticipating it. I also am not following cliche by having my three little words be "I love you", even though those words are quite nice as well. No, the three little words that are in the forefront of my mind make an average day a bit more cheerful; they make you feel special and happy and lucky.

Free ice cream.

Get this: I have been given free ice cream two days in a row. Chocolate. In a cone. On hot, sunny days. Can you believe it?

Yesterday, I went for a long hike in the Snowy Range, walking almost continuously for seven hours and covering roughly thirteen miles of beautiful land. My peanut butter and jelly sandwich, granola bar and apple, while nourishing and providing ample energy to propel my legs, left me wanting something sweet. I had conveniently noticed a storefront sign in a town I drove through on the way to the mountains that advertised homemade ice cream, so I devised a plan to stop there on the way home. By my rationale, I had earned it due to my hearty exercise.

My father is probably to blame for my sense of entitlement concerning ice cream. He used to offer ice cream rewards for finishing various challenges, and I continue that tradition today, even though now I usually have to pay for my own ice cream.

Yesterday, however, I was given my ice cream cone "on the house" in the words of the shopkeeper, because the power was out at the time and she had no way of getting in the cash register. She could have refused to scoop out the ice cream, or asked before hand if I had exact change, but instead she was kind enough to give me the ice cream free of charge. Of course, now I will be a return customer, which was probably her intention, but she could just have easily said, "sorry, we're closed" instead of being nice.

Today, Independence Day, a celebration was held in a nearby park with music and food and family activities. I read in the paper that the League of Women Voters would have a booth there to register people to vote. As a new resident, I had need of that service, so I decided to walk by. After taking care of my constitutional right, I wandered around, smelling the corny dogs and watching the people until I stopped in my tracks. I had seen a most welcome sign: free ice cream. I stood in the line labelled "chocolate" and was handed a cone by a Mason. Apparently, it was a community service, and it was quite tasty.

I only wonder what tomorrow will bring!