The Small Things in Life

The Small Things in Life © Copyright Tammie Allen 2003 Every morning you get out of bed, head towards the coffee pot and the closet and prepare for another day. Whether that means heading out to an office somewhere, sitting down in front of your computer, or getting the children awake and moving, we all do this day after day after day.

As you are driving to work, waiting for the computer to boot, or bathing the child, your mind is a million miles away. You are thinking about all that has to get done that day in order for you to have ‘done your job’.

A motorist stops to let you out and smiles and waves good morning to you. Your open your email and mixed in with all the hundreds of business emails is one from a friend just telling you to smile and have a good day. As your wrap your son in a towel he puts his arms around your neck and says ‘I love you mommy’.

It’s the end of the day. You are exhausted. Your list of things to do got longer instead of shorter. You wonder why life has to be so hectic all the time. Why sometimes it seems like life is nothing but one problem after another.

You sit at the dinner table as your son chatters on and on about making the PeeWee ball team. You nod and smile, but your mind is on all the things that you still need to do. He asks if you will play catch with him after dinner, but you tell him you’re too tired, maybe another day.

You collapse into bed, thinking about the project, ezine and appointments that have to complete tomorrow. You let your spouse tuck in the kids because you are just too tired. By the time they get in bed, you are sound asleep.

You arise again the next morning, your mind already in overdrive trying to figure out the best way to ‘attack’ the day. This is what you do. This is your life. Day after day after day.

Suddenly IT happens. It doesn’t matter what IT is. You just know that IT is threatening to take away everything that you hold dear to you.

As you walk down the stairs that morning, your notice the airplane on the steps. Instead of sweeping it out of your way and wondering why the kids can’t pick up their toys, you pick it up. You notice the broken wing that you promised to fix but never got around to.

As you walk through the living room, you realize that it has been months since Rascal got off the couch to greet you at the bottom of the stairs. You wonder when you stopped finding the time to pet him and say good morning.

You walk through the house seeing the child that you love so much the spouse that has always been there for you. You try and remember when the last time was that you showed them how important they are to you. Not told them, but showed them. You can’t.

You always assumed you could play catch, answer the friend, tuck them in, wave back, show them you love them.... tomorrow. But because of IT, there may be no tomorrow.

No one knows when IT will come. Sometimes we have warning, but often IT is just there. Then we are left wondering why we didn’t wave and smile back, tell the friend thank you and how much they mean to us, and wrap our eyes tightly around the child to show them how special they are.

Take time for the small things in life today. This doesn’t have to mean that you will never achieve your professional goals or get everything done. It just means that it might come a little slower then planned.

If being a mother is what is most important to you choose spending time with the children instead of starting the new business, like one publisher I know decided this week.

Take a few minutes to just slow down and play catch. Take the dog outside to play and see who has more fun, you or him. Fix the airplane, smile and wave back, say thank you for caring to the friend.

But most of all, never forget to show those you love how special they are to you. Just in case IT decides there will be no tomorrow.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- Tammie Allen is the publisher for The-Net-Review Ezine that provides readers weekly in-depth product, program and site reviews. Each issue also contains web resources, useful downloads, and tips that make the Internet trip a little smoother. mailto:SubscribeToday@tallen13.par32.com She is also webmistress for AFA Solo Ad coop that provides affordable effective advertising by sending every ad out with a contest question included to get advertisers results. http://www.afasoloadcoop.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------