5 Simple Things in Life (That We Always Overlook Until It’s Too Late)
We often spend our lives chasing the big things: promotions, milestones, vacations, applause. But in the quiet spaces in between — on a Tuesday morning, in the last spoonful of your mom’s adobo, in the sound of rain tapping on your window — you start to realize: the things that really matter are often the ones you barely notice.
Here are five simple things in life that carry more meaning than we give them credit for — with stories to remind us why.
1. The Warmth of Home-Cooked Meals
When you’re young, you take it for granted — the way sinigang smells on a Sunday, how someone always remembers to cook your rice just the way you like it. You think food is just food, until you live alone, reheating leftovers in silence.
I once met an OFW in Riyadh who told me she hadn’t tasted her mother’s cooking in 8 years. She teared up talking about how even just the smell of garlic sautéing in oil could bring her back to her childhood home in Laguna.
Food is never just food. It’s memory. It’s love served warm.
2. Texts That Simply Say, “Kamusta?” (w/o asking parang mangutang opkors hahaha!)
It’s so easy to scroll past a name in your inbox, thinking, “I’ll reply later.” But one day, that person might stop sending messages — not because they’re mad, but because life happened.
A college friend once messaged me out of the blue: “Kamusta ka na, tol?” I almost didn’t reply — I was busy, tired, stressed. But I did. That same friend passed away two months later. That text became the last conversation we ever had.
Sometimes, a simple “kamusta?” is the bridge that keeps us from drifting apart.
3. The Sound of Laughter — Especially Your Own
In hard seasons, you forget what your own laughter sounds like. You get caught in deadlines, responsibilities, unpaid bills. But then someone cracks a joke that isn’t even that funny — and suddenly, you’re laughing with your whole chest again.
Once during a brownout in our area, the whole neighborhood came out to the street — no WiFi, no TV, just old-school kwentuhan under candlelight. We laughed so hard over old stories that we forgot we were sweating in the dark. It felt like time travel.
Laughter is the sound of life reminding you: you’re still here.
4. Being Remembered — Even in Small Ways
I once had a co-worker who always brought me kape when I looked stressed. I never asked, she just noticed. It wasn’t the coffee — it was the care.
One day she transferred to a different company, and the first morning without her, I stared at my empty desk and felt the absence loud and clear. Being remembered — even by someone who owes you nothing — is a gift.
Never underestimate small acts. They linger longer than grand gestures. And yes, totally -- she gifted me a book from John Maxwell, all the more i get to remember her generosity.
5. The Quiet Moments No One Sees
The five minutes before sunrise. That random moment in traffic when your favorite song plays. Sitting beside your lola as she sews silently, just being in each other’s presence.
We always think life is about “what happens next.” But it’s also in the pauses. The quiet. The in-between.
I once asked my grandma what her favorite moment in life was. She said, “Every time we just sat around the table. No noise. Just knowing everyone was home and safe.”
That stayed with me. Ugh!
The most profound things in life rarely come with fireworks. They slip into your day in soft gestures, shared silences, and memories you don’t realize are golden until they’re gone.
So today, check on a friend. Call your mom. Laugh like your bills don’t exist. Hold someone’s hand. Taste your food slowly. Smile first.
The simple things in life aren’t small — they’re everything.
~Mac
