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In my previous post, I spoke about my favorite k-dramas of all time…check it out here if you haven’t seen it. Remembering those times when I watched them brought a wave of sweet nostalgia and that made me light up inside. It made me feel really happy, and during that period of reminiscing, it felt like nothing else mattered.

That got me thinking a lot today.

Whenever I feel down, or just bored, I think of my youngest sister (the third child of my parents…I’m the first). I reminisce about our silly games, having fun messing with her, or times when she helped out when I needed her assistance. I couldn’t wait to hear from her a few months ago since she was in her boarding school at that time. I was glad when I was told she would vacate school soon. I called her a day after she came back home and when I heard her voice, it was as satisfying as one who had the opportunity of drinking ice cold water after almost dying from thirst. This is no exaggeration!

Sometimes, I also think of my younger sister (the second child of my parents), especially when we used to be inseparable. That was when we were kids. Plus, other good times and fun conversations we had later, as we grew.

There are many others too, like some funny moments I had in boarding school, some interesting people I have met, the smiles and jokes of friends, the helping hand of someone, the joy of having free days in school, petrichor and rain showers, the smell of food when I’m hungry, even meeting an old classmate unexpectedly… and many other little things that are easily taken for granted.

It is sad how we spend our lives chasing money, power, and fame when all that we need is right in front of us. We spent precious time chasing the wind instead of smelling the roses blooming all around us. There would come a time in our lives when our net worth, awards, titles, or possessions wouldn’t matter. That time, all you will long for may be the presence, smile, touch, or words from that special person or people in your life.

You know what, our time on earth is too short to give a huge chunk of it to chasing possessions and materialism that can all burn away in a day. However, the beautiful memories would be your coat when it’s cold, and your rest in distress. It will protect your flickering light in strong winds and feed it to burn brightly.

Yes, work hard and make a name for yourself, but not at the expense of your happiness, well-being, and humanity. Losing any of these three is half death; you’ll be left empty. Even your smile will spell out your misery.

It’s the little things that matter. We’ve got everything we need to live our best lives…they’re all around us. Make the best of memories and live to the fullest. Let nothing stop you from doing that, including medicine.

Signed, Richeal.

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