IT'S THE SMALL THINGS Last week, I ended my piece saying that I would talk this week more about what I have come to realize are the most precious “gifts” in life that we ironically tend to take for granted. Is it because we feel that these are limitless? Or is it a notion of entitlement? Whatever the case may be, the pandemic has most definitely shone light on these aspects of my way of life. I have always known of its importance, but perhaps I may have overlooked how much we took them for granted – until we were deprived, controlled by restrictions and hindered, that was. Allow me to share these with you: First, is time. Time is precious, and in my opinion, just like change, is the only assured constant in this world. Whether we choose to sit around aimlessly, or do something productive with our day, time will always move forward. We (fortunately or unfortunately) cannot take back time, nor can we pause, or fast forward. Make the most out of your time, and spend it in the way that fulfills you most. Live your life with no regrets. Time, you must also remember, is the very essence of respect. Being punctual is a great show of respect that you value the time of others. Therefore, make sure to only give your time to those who matter to you. You have the ultimate ownership of your time, and choose to do with it what you want. Time is a gift. Give it discerningly to those who deserve yours. Second is connection. And by connection, I mean being present, and living in the now. After two years of being confined and needing to really choose who to see, it is not enough, I have come to realize, to be physically present around friends and family – you must connect, and give yourself wholeheartedly to the situation. It is so easy to stay connected in the world today (thanks to the internet, social media, and other applications), but to be able to connect effectively with others, it sometimes requires us to disconnect from the rest of the world. And this, we must make a conscious effort to do from time to time in order to stay grounded, and truly connected. Nurture your real connections – your family, your friends, those who will go out of their way for you – and discern. Think hard about your acquaintances and friends who are only present on your social media accounts. Who of them really deserve your time, presence and love? Which leads me to the third, and dare I say the cliché — love. We all have our different love languages, but it does not make one more valuable than the other. Not everyone deserves your love, in the same way that not everyone you devote one hundred percent of yourself, and give all your love to, will acknowledge it, or give it back in whole. The truest essence of giving in love is doing so without any expectations. Be compassionate and empathetic – it does not take much to simply listen to someone going through a bad day, for example. In fact, sometimes, listening is a greater gift than even giving advice. Sometimes, people just need to be heard, and to know that their feelings and emotions are valid. Giving someone a reason to smile, or being the reason someone was able to is a show of love they will never forget. In a world that makes you feel so many things every minute of every day, always remember that someone will never forget how you make them feel. In a world where you can choose to be anything, be kind.