LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT

Some of us will remember Kitty Allen singing the lyrics to "Little Things Mean a Lot," back in 1954. The words themselves are simple; they refer to small acts that offer more comfort and love than just reading them can convey. And yet . . . put them all together and you have a sweet song that could be the theme for most of our lives. [For a trip down memory lane, check out Kitty Allen on YouTube.]

Look around you--what makes you smile? Yesterday I went to a store that sells running shoes (not because I'm going to become a runner, thank you very much, but because I needed some different support for my, ahem, maturing legs and feet). In the fitting area, there was a toy (not real) dog, something like a small labradoodle, standing about 16 inches high; sandy-haired, bright black beady eyes. His two front feet turned in a little--and I smiled to find that a shoe store had a pigeon-toed toy dog. Such a small, small thing, and it made me smile.

What have you seen recently that makes you remember who you were at a younger age? An old photo will do it, or a home movie somebody made at Grandpa's birthday party when he celebrated the big 9-0. Maybe it's seeing a grandchild who is the spittin' image of you--or your spouse--or a cousin; and you wonder, did we ever really look like that? Probably did. Missing teeth and all.

Those of us who are downsizing (is there anybody here who isn't?--hands up, please) will recognize the little heart-squeeze that comes when we open a box and, lo and behold, there's that book we thought we'd lost, or somebody had given away; and it was here all the time. And in that stuff that came out of the old chest of drawers--oh, my! Jewelry that's almost in style again, given the number of years it's been hidden. Silk scarves we used to wear, and still can--even if they're not in style, they'll always fit. Closets, trunks, you name it--full to bursting of "little things" that may bring back memories.

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So, what's the point of looking at old stuff? I can think of a couple of good reasons.

One is, you'll never forget who you were--how you felt when you were young(er)--what your place was in the Big Scheme of Things. At one time, take it from me, you (and I) were the center of the universe. Nobody else thought so, but we were convinced.

And another reason is, remembering is one way to understand who you are--where you fit into life as we now live it--and you'll see how much you've learned, how far you've traveled, how much bigger--and smaller--you are than all those years ago.

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Little Things--old letters, old photos, a pink elephant won at the county fair, that first set of real tools for fixing your car, that certificate you won when you finished a mechanic's course . . . they may seem like little things now (we've moved on, after al), but at the time, they held significance in our lives.

Celebrate the Little Things, because they mean a lot; not least of all, they add up to the person you and I are today. Make yourself a little list (you know how I love lists)--reread it and see if there's some Little Thing you can share with someone else--some Little Thing you can do to make a difference in the life of someone who needs it. Probably won't cost you a penny to do that. And you'll know how much Little Things mean, because you've been there.

Have a blessed week!