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It's the Little Things
Rarely do I enjoy television commercials. But the Volvo EX30 – "It’s the little things" commercial captured my interest and stirred my emotions.
It highlights a dad and his daughter doing the little things in life. The music, words to a song, and an expert filming of expressions on faces become relatable, and at the end, the words ‘It’s the little things that mean a lot’ win you over. And you want to run out and purchase a Volvo. Or at least I did…. but I didn’t. I’ll keep my car.
My son Ron is in the commercial/film industry in Hollywood and has been for twenty years. I know for a fact that attention to detail, the little things, is imperative when filming and creating an emotional connection to the product and characters in a film or commercial and with the viewers/consumers…. making it all relatable, accessible, and attainable. It’s the little things that mean a lot.
In the middle years of my career in the beauty industry, I spent many hours volunteering time at cosmetology schools educating and encouraging students. My favorite subject matter was "the little things" that make a difference in building and retaining a clientele in the beauty industry or in any business that depends on repeat services. Doctors, realtors, lawyers, consultants, travel agents, sales, dentists, and therapists, are a few practitioners who must build their business, one client at a time. Every successful business has "the little things" that make it unique and special for the clients to return.
And so it is with people. Each one of us has "little things" that convey our individual personalities and qualities and define our character to those who care about us. And what do others want from us? Perhaps it’s as simple as a bit of our time and attention and for us to be ourselves. It’s not always the big things that make our relationships durable and memorable. It’s the reliability of doing things that others trust we will do. Being who we are, as the saying goes; we walk our talk, and we show up as who we are.
As Thanksgiving arrives, and the holidays begin falling into positions like dominos collapsing onto each other, we can consider not "supersizing" our expectations of big and more is better. Of course, Holiday television commercials exaggerate large family and friends' gatherings with enough food to feed a small army and lavishly decorated homes and dining tables created by Martha Stewart herself. Instead, how about reframing our expectations of the holidays to the "little things" that make the gatherings enjoyable and memorable.
Recalling a Thanksgiving lunch at my home during the isolated Pandemic year, eight friends gathered in my home to eat and celebrate our grateful lives. We ate healthy, played Mexican Bingo, and other fun games and the only decorations on the table was a center piece from Mary Lee, a dear friend and one of the guests, and salt and pepper shakers fashioned as turkeys and pumpkins.
The food was delicious since Chef Connie Thibault had prepared it (a big thing). The usual Thanksgiving turkey breast, gravy, veggies, cranberry relish, and crustless pies. We were together instead of being alone, we laughed and played and ate and created a Thanksgiving story we would always remember. We gave our time and attention to one another, and we were ourselves with each other. It was a big thing that we were unafraid to be close to each other and our time together meant a great deal to each one of us. It was a big little thing.
Wishing you an enjoyable and memorable Thanksgiving. It’s the little things that mean a lot.
Love,
Hilda
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