The little things matter, a lot, they can make the difference. This is an article I wanted to write for a while. I believe in the small things. In my opinion the little gestures are sometimes the greatest. I would like to show you that we must not overlook the small details of life, and this can be applied to anything you want. It is something I like to keep in mind when I design an icon, a website, when I write a letter, prepare an oral presentation with a slideshow or buy a gift. If you still don't understand what I mean, let me tell you a story that made a difference in my life and the way I think. It was truly an inspiration for me.

When I was 16, give or take a year, one day, my mom asked me to fetch something in her purse. As I was searching through her things (you know, a woman's purse, it can take some time) I stumbled upon a piece of wood. I was perplexed by this discovery. What was this piece of wood doing in my mother's purse ? I examined it for two or three seconds; it was really smooth, not crumbling, and measured 10 to 15 cm. Then, abruptly a souvenir struck me. I remembered. I was a little girl (my mother later told me I was 3 or 4 at the time) and I was walking back to school with my mother. A man was triming the hedge and I found this little piece of wood near him. I remember that I was amazed at how great it looked and knew that it wouldn't rot, so I decided to give it to mom and told her "it will protect you". Then I totally forgot about it, probably because I was only 3 and later I never thought that it is something she would have kept. The funny thing is that she never told me she kept it. I was quite in shock when I found it and remembered the souvenir it was attached to. The fact that she kept something this insignificant all these years was quite huge for me. It is a testimony that I cared about her at the moment but also that she cared about this through all these years. Everytime she changed her purse, she kept this piece of wood. It is a small gesture that I made when I was little, and the fact that she kept it is also a small gesture. I can assure you that when I found it at the age of 16 and talked to her about it, it was one of the greatest moment of my life because I was touched very deeply. She still carries it with her everyday.

I hope that I didn't bore you with this story. I just wanted to demonstrate to you that sometimes, the smallest gestures can make a big difference in our everyday life, and that they matter. Truthfully, discovering that she kept this for so many years was much more important than any gift I ever received. It can also be applied to details. They count, they make the difference between two similar things. For example, if you write a letter to someone you care about, I am sure that if you pay attention to all the words you use and find the perfect combination, they may have a greater impact on the person. If you have to prepare a slideshow for a presentation, the color, the words, the images you use and the way you use them can make a difference. This story has made an impact on the way I live and the way I think. I hope that it will also inspire you.