Give Thanks to the Small Things

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I thought it important to reflect and pay homage to the things that we are most thankful for. Traditionally, people recognize and appreciate the big things in their lives. The things that occupy our days and thoughts: family, friends, (and for many) FFA. For me, this holds true too. It is my nieces and nephews. For I firmly believe that they are the cutest individuals in the entire world. It is uncontrolled  laughter shared with friends. For that laughter makes you grasp your stomach and convince yourself that abs are forming under your t-shirt. It is my team. For those five individuals have a unique ability to both annoy me and shower me with love at the same time (like when they talk when I’m trying to watch TV). Don’t be mistaken. I truly do appreciate the big things in my life, and I am thankful for every single person that has pushed me to become the person I am today. But I feel that appreciating the big things is not enough. While these big things are important in their own respects, it is vital to recognize and appreciate the small things in life. 

In a single day, there are countless small things that make a person’s day. We must be thankful for those small moments. For me, it is poorly taken polaroid pictures and the memories they capture. Polaroids remind us of the laughter and friendship that we have created. It is the random origami penguins that show up on my desk from time to time. Jordyn makes these for me when I’m having a difficult day <3. It is snapchat memories that let us reminisce on the past. For memories let us relive the moments of pure happiness. It is pizza roll shaped fidget toys that staff gives the state officers to keep us preoccupied. It is hour long facetime calls with friends far away. It is the team bonding over Vampire Diaries. It is little pumpkins, state office requests, Rushville FFA Owls hidden around the house, and …. The list goes on and on. Because there is an infinite amount of small, little things that I appreciate every single day.  

There are so many small things in our lives that seem inconsequential. Because of this, they are often ignored and forgotten. While the big things may dictate our lives, it is the small things that truly bring us happiness. So I pose three questions to you: 1) What are you thankful for? 2) Are you thankful for the small moments and memories that make life worth living? 3) Are you focusing so much on the large things in life that the small things are being forgotten? I would challenge you to take the time to recognize these small things. Write them down and put them on your bathroom mirror. Every morning, you will be reminded of the small things that bring you joy and satisfaction. Because it is those small things that cultivate happiness. This Thanksgiving, appreciate the small things in your life.

Forever Thankful,

Nicholas Neuman