No Little Things

I wrote while on the move during those wonderful days of my gallivanting, unemployed, free-spirited self:

“Pensive aboard Malaysia Airlines, seeing nothing but clouds, a prominent formation caught my eye. It was as though the clouds were calling me. I dare not say I heard voices calling out to me for fear of being found out that I get into psychotic lapses. I did fix my gaze on one very specific formation after the first fleeting irrelevant glance. I thought to myself that that brief incident is so much like life. There are those gifts of beauty that we can behold. There are opportunities to grasp and grab if we could only refrain from looking at life with a blank nonchalant stare. We seem to be paying attention but we are not actually present.”

“Every single event in our lives or each little thing in our world is like life itself. I guess it’s because the whole is made up of the many parts. Life is made up of its many manifestations. Perhaps, all we need is to remain mindful and to not take anything for granted. Many things around us reflect the beauty of life and not only life’s routine or mundane daily activities and preconceived beliefs. When we really look, we will certainly see life for the way it really is – a single lifetime of challenges, enchantments, beauty, excitements, inspirations, awe and more; all rolled into one yet much more than a thousand times of mere existence in robot-like state.”

I am not so sure now what I was talking about. Perhaps I was under the spell of the clouds. I was mesmerized and for a moment there I lost my head up in the air. Moments like this make life interesting. Writing without filter awakens our senses.

Beauty of life

There are so many reasons why I feel truly blessed. One important gift is the ability to find beauty in and appreciate all that I encounter. Life’s beauty warmly touches my soul. I have realized that real beauty and magic are not those which are processed by the brain but felt and held by the heart.

I refuse to let go of the child in me for it is the part of me that reminds me every day of the countless blessings I receive, of our beautiful home called earth (although sometimes concealed), and of the gift that is my life and my body where I house my spirit. I think it is the child in me who believes that there are no little things. The little things sometimes end up being the huge things.

Little things are the big things

Relationships, romantic or otherwise, come to mind when I think of little things being the big things.

What is it that makes a person special to me? Definitely, no matter how magnificent it is, and considering that it is one of my favorite things, a string of pearl necklace will appear less important in comparison to that look in the eyes of my lover as he professes his [hopefully] eternal love for me.

There is the story – or it is history? – of my life’s quest for my soul mate when I was much younger. I consider one specific relationship important in my early adult life. From this young love, I remember many ‘little’ things quite vividly. It was rather strange; we were together (in person) for only a few months but the love lingered (in spirit) for at least a decade.

It was his hand holding mine, as we walked along Manila Bay or to Sunday mass or to a movie, that remained in my memory. What warmed my heart then were the whispered cheesy sweet nothings, the casual touch on my skin, the smile on his eyes as he looked at me, and those spontaneous embraces no matter where we were. Even our bloopers were a source love shared between us.

I don’t know if it’s because young love has more passion but this memory definitely beats that of the stay in One and Only in Cape Town with that one lover.

I suppose the exception would be a 2-carat diamond platinum ring handed to me by the beloved whose eyes would blissfully dance as he says he’d like no one else than me to be his kids’ mother.

It hasn’t happened. Perhaps, something similar is still to become reality.

Right now, I really love my little things!

These little big things can be a relaxing afternoons of catch up and chat with the family and some close friends wherever we find ourselves or simply sitting around at home doing nothing in particular, exchanging jokes, and having an absolutely nonsensical conversation.

Quality time with loved ones is a little big thing. We don’t even have to be on holiday in some fancy resort.