Small Things Matter


A shingle on your roof. The stop sign at the corner. An apple in the bin at the grocery store. A book on the library shelf. A flower in the garden at the hospital. The toilet paper in the stall at work. Each of these, by themselves, is insignificant. If missing, some would be noticed more than others, but the reality is that they are all there. Where they are supposed to be. When you assume they will be there. And you never give it a second thought.

My son, Alex, reminded me of the significance of this recently. Using the handle @therandomspectator on Instagram, he posted the picture above and the following comment:

Do you ever just look at the bricks of a building and think “Someone–some human, a person who has a life, and probably a family, love, interests, and friends, someone who experiences things just as I do, SOMEONE WHO HAS A NAME–placed this brick years ago. That is his/her brick, a part of their self in this building.”? Everything we do has an effect, even if it is small and maybe even unnoticeable.

Yes. Absolutely!

The next time you walk by a brick structure, whether it be a house or Doak Campbell Stadium at Florida State University (the largest brick structure in the United States), pause and focus on one brick. Picture in your mind the man (or it could have been a woman) who put that brick there. Mortar was put in place, then the brick was picked up and expertly set in place, level and square. It’s just one brick. Not seemingly significant by itself.

Now step back and look at the whole structure. Each and every brick was put in place by a team of people and this resulted in something that people have used and enjoyed for years or decades (or in Europe and other parts of the world, perhaps centuries). Each brick is vitally important to the total outcome!

The world around us is constructed of bricks, boards, and other things that all go together to create things, structures, and infrastructure that makes our lives enjoyable. That’s not the most important aspect of our lives, though.

Relationships are a lot like brick buildings. Relationships, too, are built brick by brick. One comment at a time. One gesture at a time. One smile at a time. One compliment at a time. One helpful hand at a time. One “Thank you” at a time. Each should be set in place with the same expertise and care of the bricklayer. Each “brick” helps build a relationship structure that will last years and decades, and through the legacy of family, even centuries.



Photo by Alex Yorkovich. Original posted

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