Little Things (itty bitty thoughts)

Little Things (itty bitty thoughts)

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I sliced my thumb yesterday as I cut onions to make seasoned tomato sauce.

The cut was deep, starting at my thumbnail and ending in my thumbprint.

There was a lot of profanity and a decent amount blood for a stupid sliced thumb but in the grand scheme of life the cut was really a minor thing.

A little thing.

But 

as little things are known to do

it made itself known all day as I continued to make sauce

(with a nitrile glove on my left hand to help keep the bandage dry)

and as I attempted to return a text

(you can’t use your thumbs to type on a phone screen when one is covered with a bandage)

and as I tried to turn pages in the book I was reading

and as I did dishes later

and as I took a shower this morning and washed my hair.

The cut wasn’t the end of the world by any means. But I certainly knew it was there.

And I got to thinking about little things and how they make themselves known. 

Like the tiny hole in our dryer’s lint screen. 

Like a mosquito in the room.

And I got to thinking about how we’re more apt to focus on those little annoying negative things than all the other little things.

Because the day is made of little things, both good and bad.

Last night I ran out of lemon juice, so I couldn’t jar up the last batch of seasoned tomato sauce—a recipe that had netted way more than the recipe had predicted it would.

“Do you want me to run to the store for you?” my husband asked.

I am not sure which of us hates running to town more. It might depend on the day. But he offered to do it, standing there at almost 9 pm.

I told him no because by the time he got back from town and then I ran another canner full, I’d be falling asleep at the stove. I was just going to call it a night and continue again after a trip to the store in the morning.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure.”

Those eleven words—do you want me to run to the store for you?—were probably a little thing, I suppose.

But I keep thinking about it this morning.

So maybe it wasn’t really a little thing.

Because sometimes little things aren’t really little things.

Are they ever?

Every time today that my stupid thumb hurts, I’m going to take it as a reminder to remember other little things—like my husband’s offer to run to the store.

Like the fact there was coffee waiting for me this morning at 5 am.

Like the fact someone remembered to pull out another loaf of homemade bread from the freezer after using one up last night.

Like the fact there are kisses that still make you tingle and cribbage games and popcorn and jars that go ping and three more bags of hog food and a kitten that likes you and kids who still ask your opinion from time to time.

Because eventually at some point in our life we realize that the little things really are the big things.

We just have to focus on the right little things.

  — Amy Dingmann, 10-6-20

Bookmark ITTY BITTY THOUGHTS and come back to check out what I post tomorrow! I’d love your thoughts on today’s post in a comment below or via email at [email protected].

The day is made of little things. We just have to know which little things to focus on.



20 thoughts on “Little Things (itty bitty thoughts)”

  • Ah yes, it’s so true, isn’t it? LIFE is truly just a collection of little things. Day in and day out. We can focus on the annoying ones, or we can focus on the good ones. I suppose we get to choose either way. I, too, cut my finger the other day – while slicing a lemon, of all things. (Lemon juice directly in a fresh cut was not my favourite experience of the day). And we didn’t have bandaids. Which reminded me that we didn’t even really have a first aid kit. So yesterday, I went rooting through the garage to find a small tool box, which I promptly dumped all the tools out of, washed, and labelled ‘FIRST AID KIT’. Now, I’m working on collecting items to add to it. Bit by bit. Because having SOMETHING in a first aid kit, is better than not having one at all. We have first aid items scattered around the house – but it made me realize they should be all in one place, accessible, and easy to grab-and-go in case of emergency. I guess in this case, the annoying little thing, led to a positive little thing.

    • I was actually surprised we had any bandaids in the house because I have a youngest who eats them like candy…or something. I’m glad you now have a first aid kit — definitely important. And can I tell you, I can feel the lemon juice in that cut of yours. OUCH!

  • “Jars that go ping,” might just be one of my favorite little things. (Do members of your house say, “ping” when they hear the jars pop from the other room, too? ) Then there are other little things that turn into big things… like forgetting about a 24 hour dual fuel interruption and running out of hot water while the 10 yo is showering and hubby realizing his morning shower isn’t even going to be luke warm. But it was only one day. The hot water came back when the outage was over, and that little thing turned into a big thing for which to be grateful every. single. day. Thanks for the reminder to appreciate the little things because sometimes they turn into big things!

    • PING!! It’s the best noise, isn’t it? I’m glad your cold water only lasted one day. Funny how when we have some time without those immediately available things, we realize that we’re pretty lucky they’re usually immediately available.

  • Thanks. Needed this. I tend to concentrate on the bad little things so they controle my mood. Need to shift to the good little things, They are there, I know and, plenty of them.

  • You have been on my mind the past few days and I am so glad that I stopped by your website to read about “The little things”. I miss you and I will definitely be stopping by more often. I hope that you thumb is doing better. Enjoy “the little things” because they really aren’t that little-especially when you realize that they are gone. Much love Friend!

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