A while back, we asked our three and a half year old niece how to solve a complicated problem, and without missing a beat, she enthusiastically replied, “Sprinkles!”
We told her she should run for Congress.
The more we thought about it, though, the more wisdom seemed to come out of her carefree answer. Without a doubt, the sprinkles are the best part of any cake. They might be tiny, but they hold all the color, all the character, all the excitement. The sprinkles make the whole cake worth eating.
Her answer eventually got us thinking about our own life. What are the “sprinkles” in our life? What are the little things that bring us joy? The ones that bring color and character into our life? The ones that make the whole cake worth eating? It’s so easy for us to get bogged down in the day-to-day running of our business and social calendar. We (over) schedule every minute, we work more hours than we should, and we forget to make room for the sprinkles.
Our sprinkles are the laughter at a game night, a walk around our neighborhood, staying in bed a few minutes longer than we should. They’re a family meal, a decision to dance in our own living room, filling our frozen yogurt cups to the top. They’re birthday parties and long coffee dates and good conversations. They’re the things that fill us up, make us feel refreshed and recharged, and even though they might be tiny, they’re the things that bring all the color into our life.
This week is the start of a new month, a chance to hit the reset button on the people you’ve been meaning to see and the things you’ve promised you’d do. Maybe it’s coming home from work earlier to spend time with you spouse and kids, or meeting a family member for lunch. Maybe it’s organizing a game night with friends to talk and reconnect like you used to. Or maybe it’s just slowing down and taking time for yourself, because you’ve been giving so much and going for so long that you’re out of emotional gasoline. Whatever it is and whoever it’s with, take this month, the month of love, and treat the people who mean the most to something more than a box chocolates and a dozen roses. Give them your time. Give them your laughs. Give them you.
So, what are your sprinkles? Are you taking time for the things that bring color into your life? This month, we encourage you to join us in trying to be more intentional about your time. Because the cake tastes so much better with sprinkles.