There's a face value for everything nowadays. This costs that, exchange that for this, and "I'll trade you this for that." Whenever someone makes an investment of time or effort, they usually expect something reasonable in return. Maybe some money or a personal favor, but does it ever go deeper than that?
Is it possible for a deeper meaning to exist in everything? Yes. Absolutely yes!
Now, let's be clear, I'm not saying that a deeper meaning lies between the toasted slices of the next Patty Melt I get from a local Steak and Shake, but that won't take away my enjoyment of said sandwich. The kind of deeper meaning that I'm talking about is something that cannot be measured in a value of money or an IOU; it's shown through concepts like gratitude, forgiveness, awareness, and passion. After all, there's a person behind the grill that made that sandwich and another who served it it me. Now they are the one's I should give my thanks to.
What I see at times is a lack of awareness to take in these phenomena past their face value.
When a friend asks me if I can spot them a buck or two for a meal or something and I say sure, there are times that I don't expect to be paid back or don't even want it. That's not me trying to be pretentious or anything. For me, it's just another way for me to show that they mean so much to me and this one's on me. Again, these kinds of actions vary greatly between people and situation. That's the best part about it! There are so many ways that you could show someone that they matter to you or that their presence has meaning in this world.
One instance that reminds me of this happened less than a week ago. In 2014 started my first year as a Resident Assistant of McKendree University. I had a friend of mine on staff with me named Jason. Honestly, we could not be anymore different in terms of physicality and personality. While we both were taller individuals, I was more built, broad-shouldered, and more in tune to tending to student's emotional needs, Jason was skinnier, lanky, and was able to get the facts like no one's business. Since we shared duty rounds on Thursday nights, we were like the ultimate tag team. Fast forward a year and a half to where I'm in my second year on staff. It's been quite a while since I've last seen Jason and was truly missing him. A few moments later, I receive a message from Jason on Steam saying something to the affect of this:
"Hey Dutch, I heard this song earlier and it made me think of you. I hope your doing well and I can't wait to see you again."
That same song was "Sweet Serendipity" by Lee Dewyze. I had with my staff the previous year that "Serendipity" was my favorite word because it means everything would eventually go my way. It meant so much more to me than just a "thinking of you" message. To me, it read, "Dutch, this song reminded me of you, your love of what life brings, your passion for the lives of others, and the deeper meaning that you find in everything." It reminded me that I had a positive affect on someone's life that I strive to give every day.
Something as simple as letting a friend know they matter or being conscious of the effect one's actions can make can be so easily overlooked in today's day and age. The focus has primarily been on the individual with a mentality of "I" rather than "We." But maybe there's a movement just waiting around the corner. Maybe it's already in practice, with these acts of kindness and gratitude running over the streets of America like water. There are times when these actions of goodwill go unnoticed, but that's nothing new. That's why there's a challenge to let the unnoticed act be given a voice. It's my challenge to put meaning behind everything.
