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“He always pushes the grocery cart.”
A recent Facebook blog post by Love Always, Heather flooded my timeline from four people, and I actually read it FOUR times. Crazy, right? Here’s why:
Heathers’ posts emphasize how a special someone will express their love through small acts, such as pushing the grocery cart for you… These actions are NOTHING at all like our classic Christmas Hallmark movies when the Prince chases his lady to the suburbs to kiss her under the perfect snowfall. Although don’t get me wrong, I really do love those movies!
But wait, you’re still thinking, “So why did you read it FOUR times?”
I read it four times because it shows the impact of a LITTLE moment. LITTLE in capital letters, because it’s actually really big! Ironic.
Earlier this week I was sitting next to my good friend during class. It was 8:31 AM when the instructor began to go over her plan of action for class. My friend opened her notebook, getting ready to take notes for class, and all I heard was “Aww, my husband left me a note!” Right in the middle of her note-filled, college-ruled notebook page was exactly that: a few words from her beloved husband of many years. Just like that, within the 60-second time of 8:31 AM her mood went from just an average day to something special.
Brad Paisley, my favorite artist, states it best:
“Yeah, I live for little moments.
When she steals my heart again and doesn't even know it.
Yeah, I live for little moments like that.”
The little moments are the foundation to love.
My appreciation for the little moments began when I was serving as Miss Rural Winnebago 2016. I specifically recall attending German Fest in Winchester, Wisconsin when I had my first instance of appreciation towards the “little moments”. At German Fest, I sat at a round table with multiple rural community members. If you’re from a small community, like me, you understand that all you have to do is say “I’m so-and-so’s son/daughter” and you automatically become their friend. However, it was just after my introduction speech when my new friends told me stories of the farm I grew up on, expressed concerns about the changes in agriculture, and asked me to tell stories about my experiences in agriculture. It was on that day when I realized that it didn’t make any difference that I wore a pretty, white-lace dress with pink tulle, or that I had a shiny, gold-colored crown accompanied by my very own white fabric sash with gold lettering.
The little moments prove that inanimate objects hold no value.
As the white spotlights engulfed the stage, the excitement which had built up inside of me exploded like a bag of powdered sugar crashing to the floor. Although, while a bag of sugar hitting the floor happens in only a few seconds, this moment still continues on today. There I stood at the 88th Wisconsin State FFA Convention, with a proud smile. I was being recognized as the 2017 state FFA proficiency winner in the award area of organic agriculture. At the moment, it seemed so unreal, but I knew exactly why I was standing on that stage. The sea of blue and gold FFA jackets in front of the stage reminded me of why I live and breathe for agriculture. I relive this little moment every day as I continue to study agriculture.
The little moments ignite the spark in your heart and mind.
My father and I don’t have a typical father-daughter relationship; however, I have become accustomed to that. While our lives are not “average”, I will always remember what he did for me during my early years of playing basketball. My father took an evening away from the dairy to accompanied me to my team’s father-daughter dinner. While this was nearly a decade ago, I can still remember the excitement and happiness of that evening. Today, a picture of us together that night has a home in our curio stationed in the dining room. Every once in a while I take a stroll past that cabinet, look at the picture and relive that small moment.
When I was in fifth grade, I lost my last grandmother. In fact, she was the only grandparent I truly knew. That being the case, she was my automatic favorite. Consequently, her passing really hit me hard. She was the lady who made me a strict, rule-abiding child, while also showing me the path towards God. While I still miss her dearly, I will never forget that even as she suffered from dementia in her last years, I was the last grandchild that she remembered. It’s the little moments like this one that I can look towards every day for joy.
A little moment can make an impact that will last a lifetime.
For each of us, our “little moments” are going to be different for everything we do.
As a farmer’s daughter, my little moment is being able to bring a new baby calf into our world.
A teacher’s little moment could be helping a student make a new friend in class.
A truck driver’s little moment could be having a young child wave to them through the car window.
As the holidays approach, your little moment could be just sitting around the Thanksgiving table while saying a prayer.
On the other hand...
You can be apart of making someone else’s little moments.
Hold the door for Grandma and her Grandchild as they exit the store.
Leave a good morning note for your roommate before you head to class or work.
Call your parents and ask them how they are doing. Ask them to tell you a story about their life at your age.
LITTLE can mean so much more.
I challenge you to think about the little moments in your life. Write them down and store them somewhere safe. Look back at them on occasion and remember how the LITTLE moments have the biggest impact.
This slideshow pictures German Fest 2016, where I gained my first appreciation towards the LITTLE moments.
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