Nuance

It is the nuanced things in life that make it (life) so special. The little moments, that, in and of themselves aren’t all that important, yet somehow make a huge difference. When a friend takes the time to remember the little things about your personal life, and acts on them, it makes you sit back and think “When was the last time I did that for someone?”

A friend that you haven’t seen in eons remembers that you don’t like ice in your soft drink. The friend that scrapes off your car for you, because they know that you hate the cold. The sister that brings home a flea market treasure that only you would enjoy, because she thinks you’ll love the air plant in an elephant vase. The brother that borrows your car for a half hour and returns it full of fuel. The smiley face that a friend always draws on your homework when you aren’t looking because he can tell that you’re having a bad day. The boss that takes the time to turn on the desk heater in your office every morning because, once again, you hate the cold.

These are all little things, yet they remind us that there are people out there who care about us. When someone does something like that for me, I try to remember to do the same thing in return. If you try to think, how many little things can you remember about those closest to you? What is your second best friend’s favorite color? What type of tea does your mom like? How much sugar goes into your brother’s coffee? What is that song that always makes your cousin laugh and can bring her out of a bad mood? If you would learn to pay attention to the nuanced things, and act upon them every once in a while, you’ll be able to make some people feel extra special for a little while, and, as you watch their face light up, you will feel special, too.