The Little Things We Do…

Question for you: What are your favorite “little things” to do for the ones you love?

I think we all have certain “little things” that we do for others.  Some are conscious efforts – like cooking a special meal or treating a friend to lunch, and some are almost second-nature… like making sure the fridge is stocked with your SO’s favorite drinks, or relinquishing some of the blankets (without being asked) when you wake up at 2 a.m. and realize you’ve unconsciously stolen them all.

Personally, I’ve always loved the element of surprise, so the “little things”  that I like to do have always been somehow intertwined with surprises. However, as I was thinking about this today, I also realized something that seems unfortunate: I was way more creative – and frequent – with these “little things” back in high school and college than I am today! Sure, I’ve hosted my fair share of “big things” like baby showers and bachelorette parties over the past decade… but the last time I sent a simple “hello!” or “love you” card out of the blue? I’m drawing a blank. Shoot.

Back in the day, I used to send little care packages or leave “surprise cards” for different friends on a regular basis – usually placed somewhere unexpected like a car windshield or doorstep. And of course the cards were always delivered in colorfully decorated envelopes and usually accompanied by something fun like gerbera daisies, candy, or a certain CD or lip gloss the recipient had been eyeing. These days, the closest I’ve gotten to surprising friends with “just because” treats is sending virtual Easter Peeps or throwing a sheep at them on Facebook. (If you’re not a Facebook user that probably sounds ridiculous, but trust me -  in that world it makes perfect sense!)

My “excuse” for slacking is that there are so many more stressors that post-college life brings… bills, deadlines, household chores, meetings, taxes, endless emails to return, and a to-do list that seems to keep getting longer. Sometimes just the everyday responsibilities are enough to suck the creative juice dry!

But on the flip side of things, I found myself feeling creative & happy today just remembering how good it feels when you know that you’ve made someone else happy… even if it’s just a small gesture like surprising them with their favorite dessert, showing up at the movie theater with their favorite candy already in hand, or posting a nice comment on their blog just so they know that someone is actually reading…

With everything that’s going on in the world today, it seems like now might be a better time than ever to start paying attention to the “little things” and spreading some more joy around.

So to get the conversation going, I’d love to hear about YOUR favorite “little things” to do for the ones you love… or about specific gestures that someone did for you – or vice versa – that really stand out in your mind. You might inspire someone else to do the same… and maybe tomorrow there will be a few more handwritten notes being opened and a few more tangible pieces of candy being enjoyed. (That digital stuff doesn’t have much flavor, anyways!)

{Pictured above: various greeting card designs from Hallmark}