The Little Things
It’s easy to find us focused on the “big” things of life, such as job, finances, car, and education. We easily get distracted by what we want to come next. In doing so, we may find ourselves forgetting to pay attention to the details that makes life a beautiful experience. The little stresses of life are what burden us down from enjoying the big blessings. However, the little blessings in our life help us overcome the big burdens.
Last month, I randomly decided to get my wife some flowers on February 1st. It was just “random” intuition that told me to get her some flowers. I didn’t give it much thought, but later, I realized that it happened to be the day I proposed to her exactly one year before. She was so happy to receive flowers and was overwhelmed at the seemingly random gesture of receiving flowers.
When Valentine’s Day came, I almost tried to convince myself that since I had just gotten fresh flowers 2 weeks earlier, and then maybe I’d be allowed a free pass this time and could get by without a gift of flowers. However, intuition nudged me towards getting flowers again. I’m glad I did. Her reaction was so emotional; so deeply grateful and appreciative. I know that something like flowers, to men, seems quite silly. I shouldn’t say silly, but it seems to fit for lack of a better word – perhaps it’s because flowers are so temporary.
But, maybe that’s the point - beauty is temporary but yet we invest in it because it’s supposed to be enjoyed. Flowers are fresh only for so long but we choose to take care of them - enjoying their smell, colors, and presence. Life is more than existing for “practical” things such as money, cars, education, and having convenience. We find pleasure in beauty, nature, and simplicity, even though they may seem “impractical” or temporary.
If life is treated as a race to gain more money and things for a happier life, then we fill our minds with the mindset that material things equal happiness. However, our hearts and our minds become poor. Life is the true gift. Somewhere along the way, we’ve bought into the lie that we need money to feel safe and be important. When it comes down to it, at the end of the day, we’re all made from the same dust.
The little gifts of life go a long ways – a sunset, the smell of fresh coffee in the morning, a smile, a baby, a song, a laugh, a color, a picture, a new thought. These are the things that make life deeper.
For further related reading, please check out: Somewhere New.
