The Small Stuff

I have a knack for sweating the small stuff.

Last weekend my son, Scott, learned of the untimely passing of a college buddy. Josiah, 23, a Wheaton College (Illinois) graduate and football player, was just a month away from his wedding when he passed of a heart attack. It was sudden, it was devastating, and it rocked the world of family and friends who were planning a wedding one day and a funeral the next. For Scott, the reality of his friend’s passing weighed on him like a dense fog, shining a beacon on the fragility of life. When a young person in the prime of his life with a future full of dreams and ambitions is seemingly ripped out of the arms of those he loves, the foundation of all that we take for granted is rocked – catapulting us into uneasy, introspective waters. We scrutinize the direction our own lives, the state of our relationships and the value of things that we hold most dear.

It is during these times of incredible grief – mourning the loss of a dear friend and a future inexplicably and abruptly “stolen” – that we realize how incredibly senseless it is to sweat the small stuff. A future bride, dreaming of ‘happily ever after’ is witness to her fiance’s death and her life is shattered, pieces of her broken heart spilling out in grief.

Seasons of pain highlight the important things in life, motivate us to reevaluate our priorities and inspire us to cling to those we love. The small stuff is washed away like a tidal wave. Flat tires, bad moods and running late are not given a thought and are replaced by a heightened awareness of the things that we often take for granted – the rising and setting of the sun, fields of wildflowers, the changing of the seasons. Perspective changes. Simple pleasures are embraced and cherished. The fragility of life is never more real.

We are not promised a tomorrow. Let us purpose to put the small stuff in perspective and not give it a place in our hearts and minds.