Photo by pete+'s photos on Flickr
"A mountain is composed of tiny grains of earth. The ocean is made up of tiny drops of water. Even so, life is but an endless series of little details, actions, speeches, and thoughts. And the consequences whether good or bad of even the least of them are far-reaching."
~~Sivananda
It is always beneficial to take the time to reflect on how i am relative to the people in my life. This is when i think about the little things that make up that entity (the relationship itself) forged by the many ways we have interacted, thought about each other, sacrificed for, fought with, taken for granted, made up with, stricken out of the heart roster, unfriended on facebook, and so on.
Many times we yearn for the big moves --- those carefully planned expressions of affection designed to make impact. Surprise parties, expensive gifts, and such. But what sustains the connection for me are the little everyday things that speak loudly of fondness, kindness, respect, thoughtfulness...
I fondly recall the time, many many years ago, for instance, when i came home from work for lunch on my birthday. I was not expecting anything from my husband who just got out of treatment and from my kids who were barely school age. But what a heart-warming surprise i got when i was asked to be seated at the table, fitted with a napkin, and handed a meticulously hand-written menu of the simplest of fare by them. It did not have to be gourmet. They certainly were not dressed formally -- the only mark that they were dressed special was the use of aprons. It was the heart pumped into the whole thing. 18 years have passed and i still remember everything with clarity. That, though simple, is a grand gesture.
And now the simple stuff...
While watching tv, a tray of snacks appear without asking for it. Shoes get shined. Sweet text messages that are basically nonsense get passed back and forth. Packed lunches prepared early in the morning, getting picked up from work so family does not have to hurdle hanging on straps in public transport...And how about the biting of the tongue to suppress a mean word, having time out to get ready to explain a point in better demeanor. Deliberate love. There is so much to tally, really, when we take the time to think about the good in each other...That spells the biggest difference.
