The Small Things We Notice Too Late

We often remember the big events of our lives.

The day we got a job. The day we moved house. The wedding. The journey. The award. The retirement.

But strangely, some of the moments that stay with us are much smaller.

A hand resting on our shoulder.

Someone waiting at the gate.

A cup of tea made without asking.

A familiar voice saying our name from another room.

At the time, we hardly notice these things.

Life is moving, and we are usually thinking about what comes next.

Only later do we understand that these ordinary moments were quietly making up our life.

There is an old saying: “The devil is in the details.”

I think happiness may be there too.

Not always in the great occasions we spend months preparing for, but in the little things that happen without preparation at all.

Perhaps growing older is partly learning to notice them while they are still happening.

Because some moments cannot be repeated.

The tea will be finished.

The door will close.

The familiar voice will eventually become a memory.

And one day, we may realise that what we thought was an ordinary moment was actually something precious.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India, Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah, YouTube: conversewithasmile, email rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com

Published by Rajat Chandra Sarmah