It's the small things that really count.
We've all heard this thousands of times.
So what exactly are small things?
It can be unloading the dishwasher,
Sending an email to someone who needs to hear a friendly voice,
Making a special dinner for a special someone,
Picking up the tab when you're having coffee with a colleague,
Sending a text that asks,
How are you today?
Or says,
I love you.
How about simply listening to someone?
These are just a few examples,
And none of them are small things.
I believe that the road to small things begins with compassion and understanding.
Just recently,
I had a driver take me home from a local garden center.
Because of what I'd purchased,
Our conversation naturally turned to gardening.
And she shared with me that she wanted to start growing kale.
I had a container of kale seedlings in my greenhouse at the time,
So I gave her one after she dropped me off.
From the look on her face,
You would have thought I'd tipped her $100.
In reality,
Her heartfelt reaction was my tip.
And call it a coincidence if you wish,
But my other kale seedlings started growing exponentially after that.
I invite you to spend a mindful moment right now by closing your eyes and taking several deep breaths.
Allow your consciousness to recall several times in your life where you and another person have extended compassion and understanding to one another.
Not necessarily in a heroic sense.
It doesn't need to be big per se,
Because no act of kindness is small.
Consider how you felt in that moment,
During that exchange.
Was it a handshake?
Was it a hug?
Was it a smile?
Perhaps it was just a moment of silence where you and the other person realized that you were both on the same page.
In any of those scenarios,
That's huge.
The supposed small things are really giant things.
Take a few more deep breaths right now.
As you recall the positive energy you received during any such exchange,
You choose to remember.
I hope you're smiling right now,
Because many of the small things you've done have touched the lives of others in ways you might never realize.
That's what makes them big.
The seeds you plant will always flourish.
Keep paying the kindness forward,
And it will always come back to you,
My dear friend.
The crow flies from me to thee,
To send the message,
Blessed be.
Namaste.
