Pathlight: The Small Things
Originally from the U.S., Annie earned her Canadian Citizenship in 2013. Annie & her Husband live in Pic River First Nation. She works as full-time as an Adult Mental Health and Addictions Therapist at the Marathon office of North of Superior Counseling Programs. Annie Wenger-Nabigon, MSW, RSW has been a cinical social worker since 1979 working in mental health, family therapy, and addictions services. She is a doctoral candidate at Laurentian University in Sudbury, ON. Annie also works part-time as a consultant for LYNX, owned by her husband Herb Nabigon, MSW. Herb provides traditional Anishnabek teachings and healing workshops for both Native and non-Native organizations. Together he and Annie provide training and education to professionals on a wide range of topics blending mainstream and traditional approaches in healing. They also provide cultural safety and anti-racism training. Do you have questions re: dealing with loss, mental health, living a good life, relationships, etc. ?Annie would love to hear them and may even include your questions in a future column (published every other Sunday, exclusively on OntarioNewsNorth.com) Send your questions to Annie via email to Pathlight@OntarioNewsNorth.com if you prefer to remain anonymous, specify this in your letter.
It’s the small things in life that can really get to you. I’m thinking now about the tiny little thorns in the thistles I dug out of my garden today. Careful as I was to pull on the root and not the thorny part, still some of those little invisible sticker thingys got into my gardening gloves and irritated my fingers and hands. There was no solution other than to pull the gloves off and start over with fresh ones.
The best thing, though, about the small things, is that more often than not it is the really little things that make such a big difference in life. Like friends who just happen to show up at the door asking if we need help. Or someone from long ago and far away giving a quick phone call to let you know you are thought of. Tiny little wild strawberry flowers were peeking out from under some leaves today, smiling at me while I worked in my garden. Imagine that! It is almost snow time and here a brave little wild strawberry is still putting energy into something that could be a berry someday, even when snow is on the way. Indeed, hope springs eternal! That little flower gives me hope for my garden next year and helps me not be discouraged about my gardening efforts.
I recently saw a poster that read, “I’m not small – I’m compact”. Most of my days are spent working to bring a little light into other people’s lives, and it gets pretty hectic sometimes, trying to compact everything that needs doing into an 8 hour day. That’s why I appreciate so much the small, thoughtful things my hubby does for me to try to help my day go smoothly. It is the little thing like the cup of coffee he makes in the morning, waking me up so I don’t have to worry about an alarm clock, which gets my day off to a good start.
There is a very old saying from the days when people relied on horses, which describe how a small thing can influence a nation: “For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost; for want of a horse, the battle was lost; for want of a victory the kingdom was lost.” There are many small things you could do which would make a big difference for the world: talk to the neighbor you never speak to, smile at the person who looks so sad, accept the offer of help and make a friend, be cheerful with the child who is so rambunctious, be patient when it would be easier to rush. Don’t worry if no one smiles back, or if your patience is met with impatience. Those are small things that someone else must deal with in their own life. Dealing with our own small things will keep us busy enough, and it is up to us to make the small things happy, or not.
I hope this compact installation of my column inspires you to think about the small things in your life that are important and precious. Find something to be thankful for and nurture an “attitude of gratitude” – it’s a small thing that will really brighten your life and your world.
Annie Wenger-Nabigon, MSW, RSW
Pathlight@OntarioNewsNorth.com
ANNIE RECOMMENDS:
- The Hollow Tree by Herb Nabigon
- EldersTeachings.blogspot.com
- Pathlight: Journey to a Good Life archives
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*Health themed columns found on OntarioNewsNorth.com provide general information about medical conditions and treatments. The information is not advice, and should not be treated as such. If you have any specific questions about any mental health or other medical matter, please consult your family physician, primary health care team or other professional healthcare provider.
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