Winter has passed. It has been one of the first truly warm days without the threat of a blast of frigid air and a snow flurry. But now, it is spring. Finally, glorious spring.
I was driving my 12-year-old, Cleo, to their skating lessons at the Y. Cleo is tall and lanky, and is almost taller than their 14-year-old sister Lis. Skating has been a great for Cleo– it’s their second go-round in this course. Initially, they tried to squirrel out of the lessons once the initial excitement wore off, but we talked about how important it is to stick with something new– to muddle through the doubt and frustration while we build our skills. I like taking Cleo to skating, because I go for a treadmill run. Sometimes it’s hard to find time to work out, so this gives me a great routine.
I let Cleo choose the music we listen to when we drive. On this day, Cleo picked End of Me by Mother Mother. This song is about reckoning with death. I think it’s a nice exploration of an uncomfortable topic. My favorite lines in the song are
If a wave come and take me
Will there be some ship to save me?
Or at least one little fish to see the death of me?
A main theme in this song is the singer needing their death to be observed– it starts with thoughts about the singer’s funeral, and how it will be a huge event with many mourners. Then it moves into pondering a simple little fish to observe.
I explained my thoughts to Cleo, and she agreed. She said, “I like tiny things.”
Cleo has always liked tiny things. Throughout their childhood, they loved putting things into things– small folded bits of paper into an empty lipbalm container, or a small stuffed animal into a thrifted decorative box. Cleo is often outside, pottering out amongst the critters and the tiny creatures. It’s beautiful to see.
I like tiny things too. I like looking at a blade of grass, or running my fingers along the corrugated dips on a wall as I walk past. I like holding a book in my hands. I think we lose track of tiny things sometimes, when our focus remains on our problems. I know when I’m in pain, it’s hard to focus on tiny things.
The thing I like most about tiny things is there is no editorializing; they just are. Just like the little fish from the song. While tiny things may notice and observe, they don’t judge. I think we can learn from tiny things.
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