All About You FRIDAY – All the Small Things

In 1999, a small pop-punk band by the name of blink-182 released a song on their album Enema of the State (that isn’t a typo) called All the Small Things. I only know about it because my band is currently covering the song. Lead singer and guitarist, Tom Delonge, penned the lyrics as a love song to his then girlfriend (soon to be wife), Jennifer Jenkins, prior to hitting the road for 9 months.

It doesn’t sound like a love song. At least not the kind I would think to sing to the one I love. It was the last song penned for the album because that band needed something that could play on the radio. But that short song became their biggest hit, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2000. The entire chorus is made up of “na-na-na-na’s” because Delonge couldn’t think of any words to write for it. Turns out the smallest lyrics became the catchiest, most singable phrase of the tune.

I was reminded this week of small things that make a big difference.

I restrung my guitar. It cost me $11 and about 10 minutes of my time. And all of a sudden I wasn’t frantically retuning in between each song during practice and the tones rang out beautifully. I should have done it sooner.

I put new tires on my bike for the first time in years. I had patched a hole in the tube and three holes in the tire after getting a flat a couple of weeks ago. I must have ridden over glass. The patch job was good and I thought maybe I could make the tires last another season. But after payday, I decided to splurge on Continental Gatorskins. And this past Tuesday, when the temps finally got into the 60’s, I took those tires out for a spin. I blinked a few times as I looked at my speed. Turns out that small change made me two miles an hour faster on average. Why did I wait?

“These are for you,” a patient said as she held out her hand. There were packets of seeds bound together by a simple piece of twine. We had been talking about our seasonal vegetable garden and I was excited to get started. Carrots. Radishes. Spinach. Sugar snap peas. Salad greens. “You can plant all of these right now!” she said excitedly. “They don’t mind the cold weather.” I thought about her as I put the tiny seeds in the dirt. Her timing was perfect.

Every morning before I leave for work, my partner stands in the doorway to plant a kiss on my lips and give me a hug. Then she flips the side light on if it’s dark outside so I can see my way down the steps. I can see my way down the steps without the light, but the fact that she thinks of that small detail warms my heart.

The text messages in the middle of the day.

The sticky note left on the mirror.

My favorite fruit stocked up in the fridge.

Showing up at her soccer games and pumping my fist in the air when she scores a goal.

The non-negotiable Dessert First Friday date.

All of it makes me want to come home. Every day.

Grand gestures are one thing. Usually, they are the things we write about. Epic adventures. Expensive gifts. Big celebrations. We mark them on our calendars and take pictures to remember them.

But I’m convinced it’s the small things that bind our hearts together. The glue that makes us stick. I think I’m going to take pictures of my bike tires, my guitar strings, the mango in the fridge and the light on the outside of our home. And when the sprouts on my vegetable garden start to come up, I’m going to photograph those too.

All the small things

True care. Truth brings.

At the end of the song there is a four-part harmony. Usually, only three of us sing. Much to the dismay of our newest band member, the fourth part became his. Shy and introverted, he had never sung a note in public in his life, let alone stepped up to a microphone. The intimidation was real.

Week after week, he just left that note out. And then last week, he overcame his fear, stepped up to the mic and sang those notes loud and clear. It made all the difference in the world. That one note. I imagine it broke open a seal that opened up his world a bit. I didn’t look over at him because I didn’t want to make him nervous, but that note made my day. I couldn’t have been prouder.

There are small things that make this world a better place. We give them. We get them. We need them. We should acknowledge them.

It’s been a long week. Don’t forget to celebrate. All the small things.

Until next time…