Do my walks to school each morning and home each afternoon, my weekend meanderings for six or seven miles–all sustain my spirit and bring bright life to my thoughts?
Just a little bit.
Does my devout endeavor in the schoolroom consume my days? Animate my hopes? Confound my sense? Infuse me with purpose?
Just a little bit.
Do I rejoice in the company of friends? Their airy banter? Their weighty revelations? Their crass and caustic wit? Our warmth as we gather?
Just a little bit.
Do I savor a sumptuous plate? An elegant glass? A cozy, well-set table? A candle as witness?
Just a little bit.
Do those who share my genes bring cheer as they gather? Regret as they quarrel? Do they reflect my origins? Crowd my days with joy? Scorch my patience?
Just a little bit.
Do I cherish my longing for departed loved ones? Do I live all the deeper and richer for their eternal gifts to my heart? Do I because of them become more myself and more alive?
Just a little bit.
Does my soul soar with the recollection of a fond embrace? A shared snifter of applejack? Two windows of enchanting green through which I peered past the black and white?
Just a little bit.
Will the creations of others unite me with their being? The notes of every heart’s essence? The strokes of color on canvas? Lines of transcendent truth? Motions on a platform that tell our every story?
Just a little bit.
Does this soul detached, yet connected, look aloft to the eternal blue in profoundest gratitude to walk this sacred orb?
Just a little bit.
And every little bit matters.
It all becomes the matter of my life.
I am participating in the Slice of Life Challenge sponsored by Two Writing Teachers.
Real Teaching 
Every little bit does count. Our lives are a symphony, the sum far greater than any one, two, or even three parts. Thank you, Paul, for this beautifully wrought pondering of all things so important. Each is a reason to make it through one more day, and have a smile on our faces, right? Clever photo too!
Thanks, Suzanne. Plenty of reason to smile and be thankful.
Every little bit counts indeed. Another wonderful post Paul. Well done.
Thank you, my friend–you and the crew might recognize yourselves in one of those paragraphs.
“…Profoundest gratitude to walk this sacred orb…Wow. So much here Paul. I also loved “…a candle as witness…” So many images here – you pick up the reader and expertly drop them into each scene, but with so few – but perfectly chosen words. It seems that your little bits add up to a very rich life, indeed. Perhaps not one you may have anticipated, but it is inspiring to witness your gratitude for life. Period.
Kind of you, Deb! Thank you for expressing all of that.