Small and Simple Things

Curtis Shih (’27) Mar. 2, 2023

We need to be reminded that in the end, over a significant period of time, seemingly small acts of kindness lead to great things.

The sand in the hourglass of a mother is less than the sand in the hourglass of a child. As each day goes by, the sand in each of our hourglasses decreases, the change is so small not even we could feel it, but as time accumulates, you can see the sand in the bottom of the hourglass accumulating, you can see the difference between you and your mom’s hourglass, hers not having much sand left while yours still has plenty. Deep down in every child’s heart holds a place of vulnerability to the death of their mother. I used to think about the loneliness I would feel without the presence of my mother. I would think of all the activities we would do together, watching TV shows, cooking, and traveling and I would rethink it but just picture that she wasn’t there, her presence vanishing, and the grief and loneliness I would feel.

Alumnus Wilson Chen (‘16) from AST talked about the little things his mother did regarding his personal life and how his mother’s little actions made him feel. “She always remembered my family’s birthdays and always prepped my favorite food for me when I came back home,” said Wilson. He felt that his mom cared about him and loved him. An action doesn’t have to seem significant for it to mean a lot, it also doesn’t require any planning or preparation. You may believe that meaningful events need to be planned out and thought out, such as throwing a big birthday party or buying a car, but even an action as small as just cooking meals can mean a lot to someone because it shows care and thought. Another little action a parent can show to their child is by giving them the freedom to explore their social life, work life, and school life can lead to great results. Wilson said he appreciated the space his mom gave to let him connect with different kinds of people and join a variety of events. This freedom got him to learn and gain his own independence because his mom was not constantly helping him and thus he grew his own ways to deal with problems.

Fundamentally, although we don’t spend much time with our parents once we have our own lives, their little acts of kindness will stick with us as memories to cherish and remember forever. In modern days, people have busy lives, leading a majority of people to not have time to visit their parents. Although people don’t always see their moms or dads, they remember the little actions and memories they had with each other when they spent time together. Those actions might not seem like a lot, but they can mean a lot, whether that is cooking, providing shelter, or just spending time together.