When the Little Things Aren’t so Little Anymore

May 5, 2026

Writer:   Rachel Maloy

Editor: Samantha Zemnick

Walking outside of my dorm, I felt the breeze on my face as students scattered in the law quad. I could hear the music, feel the warmth on my skin, and smell the spring air. People wearing shorts, playing music outside, having picnics, all signs of the first day of spring. That first day of 70-degree weather was the start of a new season at Michigan. Even though I was walking to class, witnessing such a beautiful day after such a hard winter made my week. 

Even though it was such a small, passing moment, it was special to all of the students at Michigan, signifying that the worst part was (mostly) over. I was always taught to go from one big moment to the next: you get through high school to go to college, you go through college to get a degree, and then you work hard to make money. But what happened to everything in between? Yes, these big moments are amazing milestones and so meaningful, but so are the little things. 

I missed so many in-between moments that I would have appreciated it if I had just stopped and looked around for a second. There is a certain pressure to reach those big milestones because of your family, society, or your own expectations. Sometimes, I know I can be really hard on myself when I do not accomplish a certain goal or make a certain arbitrary deadline in my life; meanwhile, I have accomplished so much without even acknowledging it. 

Looking back, I’ve realized that the moments that stay with me aren’t always the big ones. Of course, graduation and freshman year of college have been such amazing, memorable experiences, but sometimes the small things are the most meaningful. Hanging out with my friends on a random Monday night, sitting on the dorm floor laughing until our stomachs hurt, or even visiting home and surprising my mom to see the look on her face. I always thought the moments that mattered most would be the obvious ones- the big milestones you wait for. But when I think about what actually stays with me, it isn’t always those. It's the quiet, in-between moments that I never thought I would miss. 

Looking back on that first day of Spring, I had so much else to worry about, like finals and schoolwork piling up. However, it was such a memorable day, a random Tuesday. Maybe that was because it wasn’t supposed to matter- but it did.