Nobody Nose How Good They Have It
March 31st, 2025
Writer: Sage Lowe
Editor: Megan Lennemann
Every winter, especially at school, I find myself with a head full of phlegm and sinuses with congestion that rivals State Street after a football game.
During cold and flu season, I’m always subjected to at least four days of mouth breathing and splitting headaches. This year, about two weeks ago, I found myself in this exact position, canceling workout classes and complaining to my roommates about the horrible plague I was fighting.
From my sickbed, I recall envying my healthier self, airways clear and fever-free. I cursed that girl, fist raised, for not appreciating her ability to inhale and exhale freely. Despite the drama, I inevitably recovered from my mild head cold. But again, I catch myself taking easy breathing for granted.
I’m not particularly passionate about unobstructed nostrils, but if something so second nature as breathing can change instantly, who is to say what else we’re unappreciating? Every day, we take the little things for granted. Failure to recognize the minute details of our lives can lead to a warped perspective. If we don’t find joy in the mundane, how can we find joy in the big picture?
When I ignore the small things–like the fact that the coffee shop got my order right, that my favorite hockey team won the game, or that I liked every song on my Spotify daylist–I tend to dwell on the bigger problems.
Focusing on the big picture can sometimes be positive when the picture is perfect. Unfortunately, the big picture is often imperfect and overwhelming. Taking a step back to see it all can feel like everything is going wrong. It’s too much. The universe is going against you. But looking closely and valuing the intricate details that comprise the complete picture provides a sense of hope. Like a lot of little things actually are going right.
It is so easy to gloss over those tiny brushstrokes that together create a stressful picture of our everyday life. School’s hard, so we forget to appreciate the fact that we get the opportunity to learn. Friendships can be stressful, so we don’t recognize the blessing of being surrounded by love and people who care about us. Life can be tough and overwhelming, so we take breathing freely for granted.
I’m not saying we need to ignore the big picture entirely, but rather incorporate the small facets into our perspective. Life does get hard, but it’s the little things that keep us going. So, remembering to appreciate clear breathing in the moment, to appreciate the minutia, is key.
