When you learn how to say thank you, it doesn’t just make other people feel good, it does something good for you too. Gracious people aren’t just pleasant to hang out with, they radiate positivity and act like virtual magnets for all kinds of good stuff in life. They know the secret to happiness is expressing gratitude not just for the big things, but for all the little things along the way.
My daughter likes to collect little things. For her birthday this year, she asked for something called Mini Brands, which are exactly what they sound like—mini versions of your favorite brands. She received miniatures of beauty products, food, and candy. It’s just the packaging, so you’re not actually getting a miniature jar of Vaseline or a tiny pack of Mentos, but every last detail of the packaging stands in perfect relief—that is, if you have a strong enough magnifying glass to read everything.
“Everything is so tiny!” we exclaimed. “So cute!” we said as we held each each product up to our face for a closer look. A couple of days later, I found a tiny shopping cart at World Market. Now, our display of Mini Brands looks like the movie, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, only in our version the screenplay would be called Honey, I Shrunk the Pantry.
What is it about these miniatures of real products we find so fascinating?
I was pondering this question when I realized we were also taking the birthday girl and a friend to to PetLand Puppies, this ingenious and manipulative pet store that allows you to “check out” the puppy of your choice, take him/her to a quiet pod, and cuddle that little fur baby till everyone is crying and sneezing and wishing they had remembered to take allergy medicine OR you drop $5,000 and sign up for an eight-year installment plan to pay for the thing. (We already have a dog, so we were not fooled. I see you, PetLand Puppies. I know what you were trying to do.)
I read once that God makes sure babies are cute so their parents will want to take care of them. It’s nature’s way of ensuring survival of the species. (It’s also the reason why they cry—that sound is so disturbing, we’d go insane if we didn’t try to make it stop).
Proof that there’s value in tiny things.
Including our thank-yous.
In this season of thanksgiving and celebration, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
There’s so much to do!
There’s so little time!
There’s so much pressure to make everything Pinterest-perfect!
I’m one of those girls that stands in awe of the friend who puts up twelve Christmas trees, decorates with live greenery, and embellishes every present with bows and do-dads. I am not that girl. I appreciate her effort. I admire it. I’m grateful for it. Thank you, dear friend, for allowing me to enjoy your hard work with my eyes.
But you know what? I’ve recently discovered that I’m equally enamored with all the little things, too, things that make my holiday special.
There’s so many fun little ways to celebrate the season. In fact, nearly all my favorite things about Thanksgiving and Christmas is in the tiny stuff—the holiday cards piling up in the mailbox, hot cider simmering in the kitchen, homemade marshmallows, a pretty bow on top of a present, decorating store-bought gingerbread houses with my kids, my neighbor’s collection of light-up holiday dogs, snuggly jammies, a crackling fire, special ornaments made by my children when they were little, the scent of balsam and pine, and Christmas music in the car.
Even now, I’m remembering how my kids used to sing, “Oh ho the missing toes, hung where we can see”.
Makes me smile every time.
They were so tiny.
And so beautiful.
And I was so grateful.
And I still am.
Happy Thanksgiving, and Merry Christmas!
What are you most grateful for during this season?
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