Dear little Rump Roast,

Today your Auntie Bina’s package arrived in the mail. The book is fun, but what fills me with delight is the India.Arie CD. I have multiple favorite songs on her album. The one that strikes me, in relation to you though, is her song, Little Things. The lyrics capture my attention because the message is so on point.

Let me just tell you something, child. People try so hard. They try hard to keep their homes clean, to have nice clothes, to drive shiny cars. They try to get multiple initials behind their names and gain respect, or demand it. They wanna be cool, they wanna be fit, they wanna be known. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of wanting to look good on paper and in person, but know this, little girl: really, it’s truly the little things that bring joy. I speak from experience.

Some examples of little things that bring me joy are these: watching a spider spin her web, listening to the loons on a long, summer night, a heart to heart in the Lowe’s parking lot, a scratched up picture of me and your grandma, planting flower bulbs like a crazy squirrel hoarding nuts, looking beyond the soccer lights to the vast sky above, taking pancakes to the cabin when they boys had their Henry David Thoreau experiment, building a fort in the back of 405, an impromptu sleepover in the soccer field, creating and building a raft that floated, biking as transportation, power washing the house for the first time, wasabi peas from the boyfriend I shouldn’t have ever dated, silence with a friend over tea, the drunk singer across the road, feeling you learn how to fit into a hug, striding because I like life and I like myself, singing with the Aunties when it just bursts out, laughing by the water, theological paragraphs that nail it, the ocean spray kissing my lips, perfect sunlight shining into our bedroom, the end of a long run. Ask me about them.

You are in the world and there are a lot of good things here, but learn to squint sometimes. Don’t spend all your time focused on what the world offers. Practice looking beyond the lure of our culture, past the lights, the sounds, the sex appeal, the call to be more attractive or smarter. Practice looking past the fame and fortune. If you squint enough, they’ll all become a fuzz and that way it’s easier to find the small things.

Every corner in our world carries something: spirits, things, people, thoughts. When you find something that captures you, give it your time. Look at it, smell it, feel it, taste it, listen. When you find a place, a people, a person that captures your attention, give your time. Discern and think and learn to know what deserves more attention. This is partly how you gain wisdom and how you find your way.

But. Know this too, child: If you ever feel lost out there and you can’t find your way, don’t listen to the people who speak of sparkles, appearance, money and fame. Look for the people who speak words and sing songs that address the small things. The small things are humble. They don’t need to scream in your face for attention. They just sit quietly holding their truth and waiting for you to find them. I end here, child, with Carrie Newcomer’s words sung also of the little things, Holy as a day is spent.