The Smallest Gestures

 My husband, for any of you who haven't met him, is a man of few words and even fewer gestures of grandeur. He is as logical as I am emotional, and as dry and matter-of-fact as I am overly-sensitive and worried about how others perceive things. He grounds me, he keeps me from falling too far off the deep end of feelings and worry, and he is 100% more pragmatic, rational, and money-minded than I am. He's disciplined when it comes to most things - spending money, mowing the lawn, walking the dog (only Gunner, of course) and folding the sheets (a skill I have yet to master). 

Nick is my perfect match because of all of these things. We balance each other, and most importantly, we are aligned where it counts - prioritizing our kids and family life, having shared experiences instead of collecting "things" or fancy cars or clothes, and making memories with each other and our kids that will last a lifetime. He's not always expressive with how he feels, and when he has broken down emotionally when he lost his parents last year unexpectedly within two weeks of each other, or when he talks about losing his older brother or concerns about things happening to our own kids, I see the emotion that is sometimes not so apparent in the day-to-day of my life with him. It's all about the small gestures with him. 

The small gestures mean a lot to me, because one of my love languages is acts of service. Nick hates that phrase, because he makes it very clear that he is nobody's "servant". I'm not looking for servitude in terms of someone bringing me breakfast in bed and waiting on me hand and foot. That's not me. But I do love when someone loads or unloads the dishwasher for me. Or when we're road tripping to Las Vegas for Spring Break with our two younger boys, and he is fishing out the red and white gummy bears for me while I drive because I don't like the yellow ones. Small gestures go a long way, and after almost fifteen years together, he's learned what speaks to me and I (hopefully) have learned what matters to him and shows my appreciation for all that he does for our family. 

The little things matter, in love, and in life, and even in the workplace. I'm part of an organization now that frequently recognizes good work out loud and on paper, and also provides focused feedback which involves being part of difficult conversations. Those small acts, they matter. They have an impact.

On Oprah's website, she has a list of 35 acts of kindness. Small things, from "Saying good morning to a person next to you in the elevator" to "putting a coin in an expired meter." 

Imagine what lives you could impact today if you took a moment to show a small act of kindness. A small gesture of love or appreciation to someone who means something to you. I promise, it goes a long way. 

Reference: https://www.oprah.com/spirit/35-little-acts-of-kindness/all