How many things do you have in your life that are small, little things, but they mean so much? They might be things like a note left by a family member who went out before you got home. Or the words you always say in farewell to someone. It might be something you've kept for years, even though its a scrap of paper, or a little object that most people wouldn't look at twice. But to you it is something that you would never take for granted and you count on seeing it, or hearing it almost everyday.

The thing is, many of us don't always notice these little things for what they are. We see them, hear them, count on them to be there, but do we actually fully acknowledge them for what they are to us? Think about it; what do you have in your life, nearly everyday, that you know to mean something more that what others might see it for?

For me, some of these little things are the shells that I have in my room. I have a lot of them, but I know where most of them came from and each reminds me of the person who gave them to me, or where I got them. They hold memories and they mean things to me. I count on seeing them everyday, and having them cause me to think of where they came from.

Other little things in my life are the notes that me and my mom leave for each other. If one of us leaves while the other is not home, we leave a note to let them know where we are. If I don't see the van in the driveway when I come home, I count on a note being on the counter. And i know that that little note means that my mother loves me and knows that I care about her and where she is.

Also, whenever I am leaving the house, and my mom is home, she'll say "Goodbye! Be careful!" What she really means when she says that is, goodbye, I love you, so stay safe. If I don't hear her say that before I leave, it doesn't feel quite right. It's just a little saying, but it holds a lot of meaning for me. It means my mom loves me, and cares about me. There are other things that she an my dad might say to me that hold more than just what they're saying. They are phrases that say they love me without those actual words.

I have a lot of little things on a board on my desk as well. It is a frame with burlap and strings across it that a friend made for me. On it I have clipped a lot of little bits of paper that each have memories attached to them. One is a turtle that I colored and cut out. A friend in high school thought I'd like to color it, and she was right. I liked the thought, so I kept it. That turtle reminds me of my high school friends, and the things we used to do. I also have a coaster from the restaurant I work at. A coworker drew a tulip on it. She gave it to me to use as a bookmark, which I did. After that, it found it's way to my board. When I see it, I am reminded of the good times at work, with the people I love to work with. I have a lot of other little things on that board that mean something bigger to me. Most of them are just little scraps of paper that most people would probably just throw away.

It's these little things and more that get me through the day sometimes. I see them, or hear them, and they make me happy. They brighten my day. It took me a bit to see all these little things for what they are to me though. And even while writing this article it made me recognize some of the little things that aren't so little to me. So I challenge you to see the little things. Because it's the little things that mean the most sometimes. You just have to recognize what exactly they are, and what they mean to you.

So notice the little things. See them for what they are. Find their meaning, and appreciate it. I think the little things are there to remind us that life is not as bad as we think it can be sometimes. There are still little things that can brighten up the darker times. Things that hold value to you alone, and that value is enough to make something little into something very big.