Don't Sweat The BIG Stuff: Of Disneyland and Mosaics

I just returned from a 5 day trip to sunny Anaheim California to visit Disneyland. With a star-struck 2 year old, a heat struck daddy (yours truly), sick 9 month old (he slept the whole time), a first timer  mommy, and grandma The Disney Tour Master (seriously, she should be getting paid); we all hit the Magic Kingdom in search of opportunities to create memories and see smiles. Needless to say, we were not disappointed. My 2 year old met all of his celebrity friends, received hugs, kisses, high fives and autographs. He got to go on many rides, eat more sugar than he ever thought existed, and even stayed up late. Our trip was a total success, but it also taught me something about life…and mosaics.

A mosaic is an art form in which tiny specks of color come together to form a larger image. These small pieces, called “teserae”, are often very simple and their uniqueness is usually neglected in the scope of the whole image. IE thousands of minute, inconsequential teserae become beautiful images. So what does a mosaic have to do with my Disneyland trip?

See, we had planned this trip for a long time. My dear mother spent countless hours (and plenty of $ as well) to make the trip so great. Yet some of the most memorable moments for all of us were the spontaneous, simple, cheap things.

The best example is our visit to Newport Beach. We needed a break from the park and decided to brave LA traffic and see the ocean. We were not disappointed. Within minutes of our arrival, we spotted several whales and a family of dolphins. Eli (my 2 year old champ) decided that daddy was going to swim with him in the water. We spent the next 30+ minutes running into the water, fleeing the crashing waves in excitement and returning back to the tides again. The entire trip cost us a few bucks in parking, some gas and an arduous freeway experience (which could have been it’s own ride). There was zero planning except for the decision to actually go. We were armed with only a free map/brochure, a spotty smartphone, and our own wits. Even though it was a “boot strap” experience, it proved to be one of the more memorable times we shared together.

The realization that came to us as we discussed the trip on the way home, was how sometimes we stress ourselves too much with the monumental task at hand that we neglect the small, simple memories that happen day-to-day.

This is all too true in much of today’s world. I find myself so encompassed with work, religious service, etc. that I completely miss something spectacular happening right in front of me. In my days as a young parent, the things that come to mind when I think of my family aren’t always the big things one might think. It’s the way my boy follows his nighttime routine with the same words, tones and cadence night after night. It’s the warm meals that my wife prepares day after day without ever asking for recognition. It’s the sounds my baby makes when drifting off to sleep in my arms.

While these experiences may seem insignificant, they are the mosaic of memories that adorns my soul with a beautiful work that is my life. 

This week, I hope that we can all take the time to not just recognize the immense beauty of our lives, but to also zoom in our perspective and recognize some of the tiny specks that make our ultimate conglomeration of experiences.

Take some time today to think of something simple, something that goes almost unnoticed and yet would be sorely missed if taken. It may be the smile you receive from an acquaintance, the tone of a loved ones voice, or even a moment shared with another person. Let us appreciate the tesserae of our own mosaic.