BIG THING
I grew up believing
That there was some
BIG THING
That I was supposed to do
To make the world
A better place.
Becoming an adult
Was all about figuring out
What that BIG THING was.
Then, if I worked hard enough,
I would be successful.
The BIG THING
Would be accomplished,
My purpose would be fulfilled,
And I would win the esteem of others.
Only—
Here I am in middle age
And I never figured out
What the BIG THING
Was supposed to be.
Most of my adulthood
Has been consumed
With little things—
Just doing what it takes
To adjust to life as it is
At the moment.
Although thoughts of the BIG THING
Continue to haunt me.
Yet, every time
A BIG THING comes along,
I take a step back from it,
Afraid that by getting caught up
In a BIG THING
I will miss out on
The little things.
And the older I get,
The more I embrace the little things—
Coffee at dawn with God,
A morning spent on chores and errands,
An afternoon with a child,
A walk with a friend,
This cool, quiet house.
This is where I find my joy.
I don’t know what my BIG THING
Would have, should have been.
But as I sit here on the porch,
Listening to these birds,
I can feel it floating further and further
Toward the horizon.
By Maria Brady-Smith
Photo by Mike Smith
Beautifully said
Thanks, Jay. Glad you are able to enjoy all the beautiful little things now.
Wonderful!! The little work to make the BIG THING!
Thank you, Mary!
You’ve done many Big Things for the Little Ones of our town and their families Maria. But maybe you think less about the BT because you are living in it! Maybe it’s been whispering “stay here with all the precious littles you love”. Maybe the BT loves to be noticed, and that, you do.❤️
Thanks, Kacy!
You are doing a BIG THING right now!
And little things too….
Thanks, Gloria. Its kind of an irony, I guess. Writing poetry, for me, requires quiet and lots of open time. I think that is why I have always stepped back from big busy things. I just had the instinct to make time for this. Love you!!
Beautifully said Maria. I too have waited for that “big thing”, and finally realized a couple of years ago, that I’ve in the middle of “it” all along~ God’s plan for me.
Love and miss you!
Thank you, Monica! It is a relief to let go of those vague and stressful expectations, isn’t it? Love and miss you, too!