Small Things

There are so few things that really do actually matter. I'm one to stress about the size of my gluteus maximus as much as the next neurotic female but in reality I control my life and if I don't like it, I can and should do something about it. A recurring theme of the choice thing again I suppose.
I like to think I am good at looking at the bigger picture and the reality is that i/ life is short and ii/ most peoples' existence on this planet is utterly superfluous.
So, I'm not going to win the Nobel prize for medicine or even get a Knighthood for services to radiology (never say never but unlikely); but perhaps the little things can make a difference; in the smallest way to making the world either a better place (and I don't mean that in a nauseating smug moral high ground stand point as I like to think I've never been there and shoot me if I ever do) or just to make someone feel good about themselves (in a genuine way where no one else serves to gain) or make someone smile. And often by doing those actions, you can make yourself feel good about yourself too. Making someone a cup of tea in the morning (next week's ski team please take note) for example.
The Canadians do it well; it may not always come across as well meaning to the cynical Brit writing here but actually they would be deeply offended to think it wasn't received as sweet and genuine. I'm starting to enjoy having random benign chats with Canadian people (ok so most of them are waitresses or servers after a tip as minimum wage is so awful here but that ruins the theme of this blog..)
My mother wrote me an email saying I will be missed at the family get together on Saturday for Christmas turkey (I'm the product of undemanding parents who don't expect physical presence at religious feasts + value independence + a decent carbon footprint thank GOD!) and my sister emailed to say that in the chaos that is our family trying to eat together a plate of food got made up for me by mistake. The small things do count.
All the diamonds in the world (obviously a few are acceptable) can't replace that.
I thought a dear friend had forgotten my birthday and I got home from being on call and flowers had been sent from England.
Friends picked me up and drove me to Whistler and another friend dropped me home yesterday.
Karaoke machine has been purchase for NY festivities to be brought out by Deepa, but now at the mercy of BA..
I ablated a patient's liver metastasis today and he was so thankful in his broken English; whereas actually I felt good because he was so nice about it and he was the one with colorectal metastases and I have no idea what that really must be like.

I hope we are not all being too busy and too hurried in life to either take the time to do them or take the time to appreciate someone doing them for us.