The Little Things

Let's begin with a snippet to three hours of my day.

I wake up in the morning to the sound of my mother calling out my name. It's 6:45 am, and I'm running late for my morning class scheduled at 7:30 am. I hurry to freshen up, set up my laptop for the class while sipping the filter coffee mother just made.

A good two-hour-long session and then I have some fruits. Here, the three long hours come to an end. 

It doesn't look too memorable or exciting, does it?

Maybe not. But here's what it does look like. A day full of little beautiful things that allow me to look forward to the next day.

Mom waking me up and preparing filter coffee is a kind act, noticed and acknowledged when it happens for the first time. Same is the case with the bowl of fruits. But when the gesture is repeated over a more extended period, we become so habituated to it being a part of every day that we unwillingly fail to show the much-needed gratitude for the little things that keep our day from falling apart.

Gratitude can be thought of in different ways. For some, it may be a positive feedback loop that motivates behaviour, for some, a manner of expressing love or an internal acknowledgement of factors that make this world a better place. For some others, it could be a culmination of a little bit of all. 

Gratitude may mean different things to different people, and that's okay. It doesn't matter what gratitude is as much as how much you express it on an everyday basis. Expressing gratitude is essential because it allows you to be appreciative of what matters most to you while serving as a necessary resource in building resilience. 

Do we always have something to be grateful for? I would say yes. We always do. The question arises when we equate gratitude with big things; for instance, someone saved you from meeting with an accident. Now, this is something that we should be grateful for, grateful to the person who stepped in at the right moment. Yes. But, does that mean, situations like these are all that we can be grateful for? Absolutely not. We can and in fact should be appreciative of the subtler aspects of our life. For instance, the friend who wakes you up for your morning lecture, you made through yet another day of lockdown, your quirks, your strength, a text from a loved one, conversations, the weather. They are everyday occurrences, but we often overlook how lovely they are until they are no longer a part of our routine. We see routines as mundane, and I suppose that's where we fail at appreciating them. But, is that all that there is to our routines? A sure no. Why? Because every day is not a remake of yesterday. When you don't feel the same every day, how can the essence of your routine be the same? It isn't. That is why we need to look out for those little things that motivate us to get through each day, acknowledging the experience they bring and your feelings.

Be grateful for memories. Be grateful for smiles that keep you going. Be grateful for the warm 'Hello' you received from your neighbour next door. Be grateful for your emotions; they allow you to express. Be grateful for the warmth that cup of cutting Chai or Coffee brings. Be grateful for all the 'I love yous'. Be grateful for the song that put you to sleep or the friend who stayed up till you were asleep. Most importantly, Be grateful for you. You have shaped and transformed so many lives, and maybe the reason someone willingly looks forward to another day. You're beautiful. Be grateful.

Everyday gratitude for little things allows us to acknowledge the beauty of interdependence and balance. We, each contribute meaningfully to the life of the other and imbibing that lets us know that everything and every species is as important as the other for a society to thrive.