What is it that we miss most about someone when they're gone? It may or may not be the things we love most about them when they are with us. The things we miss the most are not always the most obvious. They are not always the large things. They are not necessarily the great achievements, the number of books published, the amount of money someone makes, the fancy car they drive. What we miss most are the small things. Sometimes they are the awkward moments, the moments of spontaneity, a tear shed at an unexpected moment, the thoughtful gift, the kind word at just the right time, the odd laugh, the warm and secure embrace in a moment of fear.
In Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's film Good Will Hunting, there is a moment when Will's therapist Sam McGuire talks to Will about McGuire's wife who died of cancer: "My wife used to fart when she was nervous. She had all sorts of wonderful idiosyncracies. She used to fart in her sleep. One night it was so loud, it woke the dog up. She woke up and asked, "Is that you?" I didn't have the heart to tell her. Those are things I miss the most, wonderful things, the little idiosycracies that only I know about. That's what made her my wife."
It is, of course, these little things that make us all who we are. It is those little things we miss the most when we lose something or someone precious to us.
Those of us who devote our life's work to children with deep needs share much in common. One of these is a passion for helping. But we all help in different ways. Let us struggle to celebrate the small differences we discover in each other, the small accomplishments our children make. It is these small accomplishments we will remember in the years ahead. It is the small differences we make in children's lives that our children's parents will remember us for. It is the small acts of devotion and kindness that we will cherish in each other.
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Working with special children, it is these small accomplishments that can turn a good day into a fantastic day. =)
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your post - it was very heartfelt and thought provoking. I too agree that it is very important to cherish (and even relish) in the small moments/accomplishments in life, because they are just as important as the "bigger moments".
ReplyDeleteYour post brings me back several years ago, when I read the bestseller "Tuesdays with Morrie", which I think encapsulated your message – to enjoy the "little things in life", because these moments turn out to be the most important and gratifying.
I'm not sure if you've read the book (I'm hoping you have), but it's about the life lessons learned from the late, and beloved Sociology professor from Brandeis University, Morrie Schwartz. He suffered and died from the terminal disease ALS (Lou Gerhig's disease). The disease consumes one by deteriorating the muscles and organs. This story moved me whole heartedly because he was dying yet stoically, and with much enthusiasm I might add, appreciated the "little" things because he knew it would soon be gone. The actual time he had left was only several months. After reading the book, I truly appreciated life and began to clear out the “frost from my windows”. I really started to enjoy the “little things”, which turned out to be just as important – and yes, it turns out less is more.
To dovetail on the lesson learned from the story, and your post, I feel very gratified working with the families. It’s inspiring to see how much your efforts (not just from therapists, but from supervisors, parent consults, speech therapists, psychologists, etc...) have ameliorated and improved the lives of the children and his or her family.
Overall, I agree with you that it is very important to celebrate all of our accomplishments. I really enjoyed your post, and working here is amazing! I’ve never worked for a company who had its own blog! Wow! Thank you for all that you do! The announcements are fabulous too!