No Small Thing

My hands are small I know
But they’re not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
We are never broken
- Jewel, Hands

Sometimes life asks much of us.

It is not a test to spotlight our weaknesses,
It is an opportunity to witness our strength.

I mean, I’m still here. Still breathing. My heart is still beating.

Clearly, I have survived 100% of the things life has asked of me.
Clearly, it knows what I can handle better than I do.

And yet, some asks are so big, we find ourselves wondering:
How will I carry this with strength and grace -
my hands are so small?

But you do.
Even when it feels like it might rip you in two,
somehow, you remain whole.

And isn’t it wild that the word “whole”, meaning complete, shares 90% of its DNA with the word “hole”, meaning empty? The difference between the two? One tiny letter.

Language has that power.
A single letter can give or take away.
That feels profound, doesn’t it?

There’s magic in the small things.

And if a single letter can have that much power,
why do we doubt our own?

Don’t we have worlds upon worlds within us?

So, yes, life asks much of us.
Each ask bigger than the last.

When you are aching and sore and have been at it too long,
remember this:

We have magic in our bones.
Not the loud, flashy kind.
but subtle, quiet, small kind.

And even though it doesn’t seem like a lot,
it can still transform:

Nothing into something.
Emptiness into substance.
Weakness into strength.
Loneliness into love.

And that is no small thing.

Writing Prompt:

What’s something small that helped you survive something big?