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.
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