When I drove into the driveway last weekend, a new friend was waiting for me. My husband had told me we added to our bear family, but I’d forgotten – plus, I didn’t know exactly what to expect…

I like black bears – not the real kind (although I like those as well, I prefer not to have any living in and around my house). When I started to travel around the country, I began bringing home a stuffed black bear from each location for our youngest daughter as a souvenir. We also picked up a variety of black bear mementos on family trips. I particularly like bears who are smiling…and a bit chubby.

Our newest bear is an outside bear and holds flowers for us. My mother-in-law found it and thought it would be the perfect combined gift for me and Tim, since our birthdays are three days apart. She was right! While I was travelling, my in-laws drove three hours to meet Tim and Courtney for lunch to celebrate Courtney’s sixteenth birthday…and they brought along an extra passenger: the smiling bear! Before I got home the next day, Tim planted flowers in our bear and positioned him as the greeter upon my return home. I laughed aloud.

I don’t know what it is about these smiling bears that’s appealing. It’s as if they remind me to smile and savor the moment no matter what I’m feeling at the time. I don’t feel the need to be happy all the time…but I do want to appreciate the moments that string together to make my life. I want to find joy amidst the mud.

You will teach me how to live a holy life. Being with you will fill me with joy; at your right hand I will find pleasure forever. Psalm 16:11 (NCV)

Later the same day, I stood at the kitchen window while Tim carried our new bear around the yard, finding the best place for him. Each time I look out the window, our newest bear is sharing his smile with me – whether he’s basking in the sunlight or soaking in the rain – and he makes my heart smile a bit wider.

Look for little things in your daily life to make a big difference.