It’s all about the little moments. The little moments like notes which make up the symphony of our lives. Those notes can be harsh, sweet, or beautiful, but they’re what make life worth living.
I came to this realization during the middle of a New Year’s potluck at church. I was sitting there with my plate of eggrolls and fried chicken watching the festivities, which involved each family coming up to the “New Year’s tree” from which hung red Chinese envelopes containing money, and feeling a slight twinge of annoyance at how loud the other members of the church were being and all of a sudden it came to me. This was what it was all about, being with other people, enjoying each other’s company, savoring each moment of how beautiful life can be. This loud, noisy, chaotic moment was beautiful because it represented the transformation of our tiny Vietnamese church into a growing, thriving, joyful congregation. I had always sort of resented being a part of this church that was so different, so outside of my American world, but as I watched my mom trying to stand on top of a chair to take pictures of each family, I realized that this was one of those little moments; those moments that make you into that person you are and will be.
Little moments aren’t always happy, they can be sad and bittersweet; but they are the times that remain ingrained in your memory. Times of adversity and hardship are also made up of little moments, like when you find out your dad is terminally ill, when your dog dies, or when your heart is broken. But there are always those moments of pure joy and humor that make up for all those hard to endure times.
Maybe it’s that time you got your first A in school, or for that matter, your first F, those butterflies you get in your stomach when you talk to your crush, building a snowman with your brothers, or having hilarious conversations with your parents. Maybe it’s being the angel in the Christmas play for five years in a row, winning your first swim race, being baptized, or even something simple like smiling at someone new in the hallway at school. When I think about all these moments, they seem to me like photos and snapshots in my album of life, and when I’m near the end of my life I’ll flip through that album and think about how glad I am I took time to savor and enjoy each moment. I believe life is a kaleidoscope of all these moments put together, some are beautiful, some are ugly, I believe life is a song made up of these notes of moments, simply put; I believe in little moments.