Quittintime: We Don't Stumble Over Mountains

Somewhere we have heard this old yet interesting observation, " We don't stumble over mountains". it seems we stumble over small things mostly. It is by small steps and seeming inconsequential decisions that we arrive at where we are. If we were to know the inside of wasted lives, of failures, unhappy families, we would likely find that small things loom very large.

Serious problems seem to begin with small things and often at early ages. Homes, families, marriages are broken often by little things, annoyances, small acts of thoughtlessness, lack of courtesy and consideration, lack of honesty in little things, small falsehoods, small deceptions in accounting for time or money. The breaking point may add up to something major and dramatic, but leading to it are small steps: inconsideration, irritations, indiscretions.

Sometimes people protest their love and loyalty and offer to do almost anything to make ammends, but leave the little things undone. There are those who profess they would lay down their lives, but who won't serve or sacrifice in the small day to day duties and discipline. Some have the all or nothing attitude. But life isn't like that. Those who insist on all or nothing are likely to have little or less.

The years are made of minutes. Much of life is made of memories, warm and happy memories of small kindnesses and consideration, of courtesy, of constancy, consistency, a mothers attentive care, a fathers kindliness, a childs thankfullness: thoughtfullness each day, not grand and rare obvious outward acts- not all at once, but small and constant ways as each occasion comes.

If we want happiness with loved ones, and peace and a aquiet concience, we need to learn the little lessos, the small services, the continuing kindnesses, the habitual acts of honesty, the constancy of cleanlines- not just one big washing.

"We don't stumble over mountains". We stumble over small things mostly.

From Richard Evans book " Thoughts for One Hundred Days.