I remember growing up in Minden with my mom and younger brother. It was a single-parent home, and money was always tight. I remember going to the grocery store with my mom and working that little hand-held calculator as she would select items for the week ahead. We had a budget from necessity, not choice.
She did everything possible to do the little things, that looking back, were so special.
I remember how she would call our apartment sometimes on a Friday night after work and tell me that she was bringing Sonic burgers home and for me not to set anything out for dinner. Sometimes we would actually go to Pizza Hut and truly “eat out.”
Funny, I don’t give a second thought now to bringing a burger home or eating out on a Friday night. The little things back then that were so special are just accepted as the norm today.
She would also give us a haircut anytime we wanted one. I didn’t have to book an appointment or wait in line. I didn’t pay for a haircut until I attend La Tech.
We could always count on a homemade birthday cake. There were no parties or people coming over to our apartment, but you could always choose the cake you wanted. She and Betty Crocker would always deliver. Homemade was more than just made at home.
She showed us how to make coke floats and frosted coke drinks. If we splurged on vanilla ice cream and a bottle of coke, she knew how to make the most of them! I don’t know if I have had either of those since then.
I remember her staying up late after work sewing Izod and Polo patches on generic shirts for my brother so he could have the same as other kids in his class. I preferred athletic T-shirts from school sports teams so that was easy. She was skilled at “finding a way”! Times weren’t that different back then.
There were so many little things that she did that went unnoticed by many. I saw it though. Every day I saw it.
For us, there were no vacations in the summer, but rather opportunities for summer jobs and experiences that were probably more valuable in the long term. I learned a work ethic from my mom that has served me well! I appreciate the vacations today, but I will forever be impacted by her commitment to providing!
It’s those seemingly insignificant things, those small gestures, or those actions that many just take for granted that can be so impactful. Those actions are often overlooked, dismissed as irrelevant, or unimportant by some, but for those directly impact, it may mean the world!
What are those “little” things from your past that impacted you?
What are those seemingly insignificant things you are doing today for others?
Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others”.
I had the privilege of officiating my mom’s funeral almost 13 years ago. If I had shared all the little things she did that made so much of a difference, we would have been there for quite a while.
In a world of social media and huge opportunities, let’s don’t ever lose sight of those “LITTLE THINGS”!
Doug equips leaders to make organizations better. He has two Christian-based leadership books available on all online platforms. Whether you are looking for a speaker for your next event or a leadership coach to develop people and build an authentic team, contact Doug at doug.strickel@gmail.com and learn more about PLUS.
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