There are many things in life that affect us and push us to change into the people we are. The littlest of things can alter us in big ways. But big things can also change us in small ways we don’t even realize, making it hard to fully know ourselves and how we will react to things.
There have been many times when I found it hard to have courage and strength. Times when I thought I knew how I would react but when the time arrived, when it really came down to it, I had no clue what I was supposed to do. I lived and I learned and I grew again and again.
Only looking back on things now can I see all the things that led up to those moments and changed how I reacted. Whether I was happy or sad, afraid or excited, there were little things that made a big impact and big things that made a little impact.
That seems a bit odd doesn’t it? Big is little and little is big? Just hear me out.
It is true that this is not always the case. The biggest moments can have the biggest impacts on who we are. But because of this, we tend to count out the little things that, without them, life would be one hundred times harder.
Like a hug. A hug is such a small, easy action that most people grow up using all the time. We do it without thinking, half of the time.
How common hugs are makes them seem almost trivial. But then what would you do if you could never hug or be hugged? Yes, there are other ways of expressing love, comfort, and connection, but a hug is one of the most quintessential archetypes of these feelings.
A friend hugs you when your sad. A mother holds you when she sees you need to take a breather. A father wraps you up for a goodbye. A lover embraces you to say sorry and connect themselves to you. All these things make hugs all-encompassing and crucial to life. A little hug can go a long way.
But how can something big have a small impact?
When people think of life altering moments, it seems to lean towards the sad-side of things. Not to be harsh to humanity, but we have a taste for horror and sadness. Everyone slows down when they see an accident, right?
It’s rather a dark concept but I like to think it’s because we have an inability to pass by destruction and not want to help.
When we feel pain and grief, we express it in different ways. We can shut down or explode with emotion. Or we could even do both.
I have realized the different forms of loss I have experienced have changed in me in big ways for sure, but it wasn’t until I was older that I realized it also changed me in little ways.
The small parts of my personality have been maturing or becoming completely different. I have discovered how to handle loss and sadness in new ways. Pieces breaking apart or being put back together: little changes due to big events.
I will never be able to say that I am grateful for loss, but I have reached a point where I can say that I have become glad of the changes I’ve gone through, despite all the pain and sadness it might have entailed. I am glad to be able to say that I was able to grow and move on, rather than be stuck in a cycle of emotions that dictate my actions and therefore, my life.
Some people endure so much and push through everyday. Others get caught up and don’t know what to do. But the littlest of things could brighten them, strengthen them, making each day easier and easier.
Despite the hardship we have all had to experience in life, it is time to fight back in little and big ways.
The holiday season is just around the corner. For those with Christmas decorations set up, it is already here. This year, be grateful for every opportunity, every hug and hand you get to hold. Do the little things to show people they are loved and make a big impact. And when the big things hit home, let the little things wrap you up and show you it will be okay and that there are still good things to come.
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