The small things aren’t so small

WASHINGTON – It just recently dawned on me how soon I’ll pack my bags and leave Bloomington to start the rest of my life. I’m currently taking my last credit as a college student, and I’m amazed at how fast it all flew by. 

Maybe I’m being reminded of this because of all the new students walking on campus. Maybe it’s because only two years ago, I started working at the Indiana Daily Student, giving my path of becoming a journalist a meaning.

Either way, life goes by fast.

Although I have friends now, and I’m content, I feel as if I forgot the people I met along the way.

When I was a freshman, a couple of my dorm-mates went out to some fraternity. It was the first time in college I went out to a party. It didn’t really go over well for me.
As the night went on, I found myself sitting in the bathroom. My resident assistant at the time, Ada Silapiruti, sat next to me most of the night. The next morning I woke up in my bed with a garbage can next to me. It was Ada’s. She said she left it just in case I needed it. 

I never thanked her for that. It was such a simple act of kindness. After my freshman year, I never ran into Ada again. 

It was spring 2008 when I received a Facebook invitation for a group titled “Ada for President.” I checked out the page and read that Ada had gotten into a car accident and was injured. A year and a half later, Ada is relearning to walk and talk again. Her mother and friends post on a blog (dearada.blogspot.com), updating frequently about her progress. I log in once or twice a week just to read and to pray for a speedy recovery. 

Reading her blog reminds me how I never got to say thanks. Not only for that unfortunate night, but for all the other ways she helped me get acclimated to the University I fell in love with.

Freshman year isn’t easy, especially when you’re far away from home. And we need to remember that even the smallest acts of kindness, such as a trash can next to your bed, deserve the most thanks. 

And even the people who end up walking through your life can make the most difference. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that sometimes missing the big picture is for the best and holding onto the small things is what makes it worthwhile.