This morning, after my run (with walk breaks!) in Central Park with Gunther the Wonder Dog, as I was leaving the park to go home,  I noticed a teenager wearing a brightly colored t-shirt with these words: “The Best Things in Life Are Free.”

Tom Petty was still serenading me through my iPhoneearbuds and my mind started to meander while walking the half-mile home.

Are the best things in life really free? Are they really the best?  I started a mental list of those things that really and truly are free, and then some that are pretty cheap that they could almost slide right into the “free” box without anyone noticing.  A review . . .

  • love — the love you give and the love you get
  • the moon
  • the sun
  • the stars
  • your faith — whatever it is, even if you get persecuted for it, it is still yours
  • your conscience — Thomas More, in the 16th Century, had this one down pat.  Your conscience is yours to do with what you will, and only you can look at yourself in the mirror every night at the end of every day and tell yourself that you truly did the right thing, and that you lived each moment according to what you believed was right
  • running (with walk breaks) — some experts even think we should be running with no shoes at all, like our ancestors, which would make this truly free, but I still suggest investing in a good pair of running/walking shoes 🙂
  • your thoughts — whether you choose to share them, or keep them to yourself, they are free
  • friendship
  • happiness — we can choose whether to live our lives in a state of happiness with moments of unhappiness (which is completely normal, as no one can be happy 24/7, especially with the troubles we see in the world every day) OR we can choose to live in a state of unhappiness with moments of happiness (don’t choose this option if you can help it)
  • laughter — laugh every day . . . because no matter what is going on, there is always something else we can laugh about, even if for a moment
  • sex
  • reading — go to a library and check out a book, or borrow one from a friend
  • push-ups and sit-ups — these are so free it’s laughable . . . you could be buck naked and still do them
  • compassion — be tender of heart, and the world will be a better place
  • honesty
  • eating healthier — okay, it’s not free BUT . . . eating less processed food, less meat and more vegetables, whole grains, beans and fruit is ALOT CHEAPER
  • attitude — You can’t buy your attitude
  • singing — even when my daughters roll their eyes at me, I sing whenever I feel like it, which is often
  • PBS and NPR — although it would be nice if we all gave them donations once in a while to keep those free programs going
  • Central Park — and other parks around the country
  • Facebook — well, it’s free for now

What do you think are the best things in life?  And, are they free?  Let me know . . .

Best of everything,

Barbara