As I enter the final week of undergrad, I've realized that if I had to pick a priority of one thing to focus on, it would be "paying it forward." I believe in telling people how much they mean to me, and I don't want to wait until it's too late. I've had friends die way too young, and I've had friendships end before I imagined they would. Most people want to live life with "no regrets." I don't really think it's possible to have absolutely no regrets, but I do think that it's important to wake yourself up and realize that life is too short to waste. Enjoy each day. The good, the bad, and the so-so. It's all meant for something.
My goal for the next week is simple: kindness. I've always admired people who have that endless supply of patience and joy. You know the people I'm talking about. The ones who start up conversations with the people who make their $5 cup of coffee. The ones who say "thank you" to the checker at the grocery store. The ones who smile at strangers as they walk past on a crowded street. These things are little, and they probably won't change the course of the future. But they can make all the difference for the person who receives your small act of kindess.
To borrow from one of my favorite Anberlin songs, "This life's not about me." And it's not about you. Life is about community, and it's about service. It's a challenge. It's about appreciation, and it's about the moments you could too easily forget. Sure, everyone remembers their 18th birthday or their wedding day or the day their child takes a first step. But shouldn't we also hold on to the moment when we're the first one awake and we haven't yet stepped out of bed? What about that instant moment in between breathing in and breathing out? Or the brief seconds you allow your gaze to linger outside your window, with timid leaves swaying in the breeze. Those small moments, not the ones that end up on scrapbook pages, are the ones that make up most of our lives. It's time to start enjoying the small things. Maybe then we'll have the courage to show the "little" people in our lives small pieces of love and kindness.
