The little things

Morgan Rooney
MSMU Class of 2020

(2/2020) When I look at where I am today, as hard as I have worked and as much effort as I have put into my achievements, it would be wrong for me to only credit myself. Considering where I am now, I am not yet in a place where I would say that ‘I made it," but I feel like I am getting very close. The ‘it’ in that statement would refer to a point where I feel like I’ve hit a milestone that would be difficult to turn back from. My days as an undergraduate will soon be in the double digits. The intimidating thought of finding a ‘real job’ is becoming more imminent, while also more terrifying. The degree will soon be in my hand and I need to figure out what to do with it.

I’m definitely extremely fortunate that I have been able to attend Mount St. Mary’s University for the last three and a half years. I am well aware that many others do not have the same opportunities that I do. Without my friends and family, I wouldn’t have made it this far. I don’t know where I would be, but it certainly wouldn’t be here, sitting at my computer, writing for the Emmitsburg News-Journal. It would be impossible for me to pick only one person who encouraged me to keep going because that would take up much more than this page.

My gratefulness isn’t just limited to when I was 17 and my family was helping me pick out a school that would be most well suited for me. It stems from countless rides to and from the airport, a little bit of extra grocery or gas money, and the occasional home cooked meal that I am invited to at my aunt and uncle’s houses. I’m grateful for the friends that I’ve made that kept me from feeling like I was all alone. I’m grateful for the lengthy phone calls that I have multiple times a week to keep close to those I care about most. Without any of this, my challenges would be much greater, and the outcome less.

When I get my degree in the upcoming months, I will not fail to recognize that it was not just me who earned it, but those who helped me along the way as well. Any small (or large) act of kindness pushed me to work hard and wrap everything up. When celebrating, I want everyone to share the same pride that I have.

Thinking back through my life, I could think of countless kind things people have done. When I was a small child, I had so much family and many family friends give me wonderful gifts and make wonderful gestures. They continue to do this as I get older and I am and will always be grateful for the love that they are spreading. These things always inspire me to be better, not just when others are watching, but when I am in the eyes of God alone. Alike many others, I have times where the day just isn’t going my way and the world feels like it’s going to come to an end. I have moments where I feel the need to overreact and get angry. Thinking of all those people in my life who have done such wonderful things without expecting anything in return help me to look at my situation from a different perspective.

Sometimes it only takes one good thing to happen to make someone’s day better. When I get something for free, see a family member, or win a raffle, my day instantly turns around even if it wasn’t going my way previously. The influence we can make on someone’s day is surprising. Sometimes a simple smile is all that’s needed to turn someone’s day around. We must always remind ourselves that we don’t know what others are going through. Although everyone we see seems like a regular, ordinary person on the outside, there is a complex story behind each person with challenges often as great as our own.

When I was about 16, I worked at a small café near my house. I would work every weekend and spend many hours on my feet with little time for breaks. When the time finally came where I could sit down and have some lunch, I was exhausted. Every Sunday, however, a retired couple would come in with their friends on their way back from church. As I would eat my discounted lunch, the husband would come talk to me for a while and pay for my lunch. He did this almost every Sunday so my food wouldn’t be taken out of my paycheck each week. This gesture would always make my day. Seeing people like this in the café made my weekend job so much more fulfilling. Nothing makes me feel warmer than knowing someone cares.

When I was in high school, I had a friend who worked at Whataburger, a fast food chain based in Texas. She told me that one day a man pulled up in the drive through and purchased a meal. This man also told her that he would like to pay for the meal of the customer who was in the car behind him. When she approached the window and learned that her food had been paid for, she decided to pay for the customer in the car behind her. My friend said that this continued through 12 different customers before someone broke the chain. The first man who paid for another email sparked many others to pay it forward. I would say that kindness is contagious and if more people were like this man, I think many of the world’s problems would be eradicated.

Before it was recently brought to my attention, I did not realize that there was a day dedicated to acts of kindness. On Feb. 17, I will be sure to keep this in mind. It doesn’t have to be something big. It just needs to be something that shows that you care and to remind someone that there still is and will always be some good in the world.

Read other articles by Morgan Rooney