The Small Things

                There’s that cliché “don’t sweat the small stuff.” It has some value; I mean there really isn’t much of a reason to be nervous about little mistakes that everyone makes. Yet, I’ve found it’s all the small things that make everything worthwhile. Like on my last day in the Philippines, my cousin got all of his friends that I met to text me. Each text wished me a safe flight and they all said goodbye in a way that only they could. I’ve only been around these people 2-3 times each, but their personal messages still felt so endearing. Like every person sent their whole personality in 200 characters or less. I cried, I’ll admit that. Saying goodbye to my family was tough enough, but to get unexpected goodbyes from people I hardly know was very touching for me. It just reaffirms all my beliefs in human kind, that people will be good if they have a chance. You can even see how strongly it affected me in the post I wrote the day I left (Iniwan ko ang aking puso sa Metro Manila).

                That’s not it though, other small things can be just as touching and not a word needs to be said or written. The day I got back, my friends didn’t just hug me. They did that lame run and jump hug you see on TV, but it didn’t matter if it was cheesy, it made me brighten up so much more. There was just a little bit more effort in their hugs, but it translated to a much larger effect. I can’t help but smile more than I ever have, to know that I’m missed. Their running hugs showed me that who I am is a part of their life, and when I’m gone there is a hole in their life. I mean I’m sad there’s a gap for them, but I’m happy that I get to fill it. They also may have wanted the gifts that they knew I’d buy them, but I like to think the gifts are there to return the hapiness.

                In the end, don’t sweat the small stuff, because those little mistakes, those little things you do without thinking are the things that make you, you. Making everything perfect just takes away the personalization, and you can feel it in things like music created by computers, not humans. It’s all interesting, that all this effort can go into some big project, but the small things are what makes it really special. I love all typos in texting, and bad handwriting and silly smiley face emoticons, it all just makes the world feel right.