Cats and Pumpkin Carving: The Little Things Make All the Difference

Today was magical. Today, I proved to myself how far I've come and realized once again that the little things make all the difference.

I left Chicago today and took a train north to visit Lori, who is in charge of making the lives of the students fun at my school. The key thing about this is that I went alone. I made a valiant attempt to get people to go with me, but everyone was either visiting Ann, our Social Sciences teacher, or didn't want to get up early enough to catch the train. It was the first time I'd ever left campus alone. It was the first time I'd ridden on the Metra. And I managed just fine. There was no panicking, no second-guessing, no backing out at the last minute. Just a few months ago, I doubt I would have been able to make the trip.

When I'd successfully gotten off the train at the right stop and met up with Lori, the unwinding ensued. We went to lunch at a fabulous Italian restaurant, made a brief stop at the mall and successfully found the black beret I need for the production I'm in, and found a pumpkin patch. Our plans were instantly made. The pumpkins were fun to look through. There was one I especially liked, which was the perfect Halloween pumpkin. It was squat and round, but very, very warty, and had a nice, creepy crack across the top that looked like an ugly scar. If it hadn't been slightly rotted, we would have gotten that one. Then there were the ones that looked, quite literally, like giant tomatoes. A dark red-orange with stems still green, they were a sight to behold, and gave us many a laugh.

Upon selecting and purchasing pumpkins, we made the drive to Lori's house. The wide open spaces reminded me so much of home, and I felt the anxiousness that had been consuming me just slip away. What helped even more was meeting her cat. He was a love bug, and the first cat I'd been able to pet for months. The familiar sneezing fits that ensued was just as comforting as anything.

But the real fun as when we got to the pumpkin carving. It's been years since I last made a jack-o-lantern, and I'd forgotten how much fun it could be. Sure, I ended up sticky with pumpkin guts up to my elbow, but I was having fun with a good friend. Such simple fun as carving pumpkins together. And there was something magic in those moments, something I haven't felt in ages. I felt whole again, like a real, living person that actually mattered. There wasn't anything being expected of me other than to just be me. And that in itself was wonderful beyond words.

Today was a good day. It was a good decision to visit Lori when she offered to have me over. I feel like my sanity has been restored and my reality officially super-glued back together. And it's when little things like petting a cat and carving a pumpkin with a friend do so much for me that I realize that the little things really do matter most. They matter most when it comes to personal happiness, feeling good about yourself, and growing as a person. And I'll never take those little things for granted again.