Small miracles are everywhere. They’re in the way the dogs dance when they go outside in early spring, their noses waking up to a thousand little mysteries. Or the way the cardinal in the bush outside my window just a few minutes ago bobbed and weaved in exact time to the song I was listening to, and then flew away exactly when it ended. 

Small miracles. Little things. You can see them every day if you’re looking. Of course, I’m the kind of weirdo who you’ll see staring at the sidewalk after the rain stops, moving worms out of the hot sun before it’s too late. I like to watch ants celebrating an upcoming feast of cookie crumbs while working together. Little things. Except, of course, to the ants and the worms. Notice someone, and you have given them a gift. It may be the best thing they’ve received in a long time. 

Lately more and more I’ve been noticing things that are usually reserved for people on acid trips. Maybe it’s from being in the dark so much, or maybe watching too much Dog Whisperer… Anyway, the exchanges of energy between people, well, creatures, are visceral but visual things. Just like anger, joy is catching. You can watch it flow. If someone is willing to meet your eyes, try smiling just a tiny bit, and you can see them lift up. You did that. 

The effect of a smile can start in one part of the world and travel most anywhere. Small kindnesses are the things you remember and carry with you, so what makes you think nobody else notices? The cashier who was admiring my hair color the other day was amazed when I told her how lovely her highlights were (mostly grey and silver, nice highlights!). I could tell it was the first compliment she’d heard in a long time. It cost me nothing. In fact, it made me richer. I was having some real problems that day, and by some small miracle, my load was lightened by passing along a tiny bit of joy. And then she turned to the next person in the very long line with a smile on her face.

Mother Teresa said “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless”. I don’t even think you need words. I truly think just meeting someone where they stand, noticing them, smiling… I think that echoes too. So here’s to starting with the little things…