"Come they told me pa-rum pa-pum pum."
The tale of the Little Drummer boy has become a beloved carol during the Christmas season. So much so that there was a stop motion animated television Christmas special produced in 1968 by Rankin-Bass based on the song lyrics. The first few lines of the song intimate that the three wise men that traveled to see the Christ child are affiliated with the little boy and encourage him to play. The drummer states to the Christ child that he is also a poor boy too but feels inadequate with what he has to offer. He obviously was told of the prophecy regarding the baby in the manger and felt he had nothing worthy to give. It also didn't help that he witnessed the wise men giving the child gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. He persevered and asked permission from Mary. With her approval the drummer boy gives all he can and is rewarded with the child's smile.
The little drummer boy has a lesson for us all in that sometimes the greatest gifts are the simplest ones. Doing out best can be gift enough. There is a whole other perspective regarding the commercialism of Christmas but that is a topic for another time. What is to be focused on here is that the drummer boy felt inadequate but he still offered what he had and that was more than enough.
Simple Complexities
During my work in the medical industry, it continues to amaze me how complex our bodies really are. There are so many intricacies and associations that encompass the simplest of pieces and functions yet they manage complicated systems. These systems are often overlooked or even taken for granted until one single entity malfunctions and then there is chaos. For example, one simple hormone doesn't get produced or a cell starts to change it's function and repercussions can be serious.
I was watching a TV show one day on the greatness of people and the speaker stated that the screening process he uses for quantifying his next business associate is to see how they treat their inferiors. If they treat the person in a despicable manner then the business partnership ends right then and there. This paradigm regarding the greatness of some and the lessening of others has done a great disservice to us all.
When looking at the big picture of the body it's often easy to focus on the top contenders like the heart, brain or lungs and their significance and forget about the all the other components. Needless to say those major organs would be useless without all their background affiliates. Our society is based on the same principal. This thought process places the smaller pieces in a state of comparison and often leaves them feeling that their contribution to the whole is somehow inferior. This produces a wide range of responses including jealousy, unworthiness and apathy to name a few.
What Eye's Have it
The amazing news is that perspective has no bearing on the preciousness of the gift. Each one of us has an amazing talent to contribute to this world and we suffer because of the lack of representation. The perceived lie that they are of little consequence to the overall picture is crippling us. Can't say I blame them when they see their gift as an equivalent to an eyelash and they compare themselves to the skeleton. That is what kills us; the comparison. Here lies the rub: The toenail could care less about the eyelash. Their systems are so far removed from each other and they don't interact.
Say for example that the eyelash kept offering it's services to the heart or the tooth. What would be the response? Not a positive one for the gift has little use to the recipient. That doesn't have any bearing on the value of the gift just it's uniqueness. There is always a recipient that can flourish from someone's gift. Sure we can get lost in the perceived significance or insignificance of our respective gift but we miss the most important point: Ask the eye how important that eyelash is or the toe about it's nail. Anyone with an ingrown toenail can tell you how paramount that body part becomes.
The eyelash may not have a huge impact on the whole schemes of things regarding bodily function but it is sure impacts the eye. Carrying mascara or fake eyelashes is far from it's primary function, here are a few to ponder:
For example, eyelashes help to protect your eyes. There are many particles in the air, like dust and sand, which can get into your eyes and harm them. Eyelashes help to sweep these particles out of the way. The long eyelashes of camels work in similar ways.
Eyelashes also help to keep moisture, like sweat or rain, out of your eyes. Their curved shape and the way they are positioned allow them to direct moisture away from your eyes.
They can also act in a way similar to a cat's whiskers. If something is too close to your face or eyes, your sensitive eyelashes can sense it and alert you to possible danger. Such dangers might include particles in the air or small insects. Your eyelashes help to tell your eyelids when they need to shut to protect the eyes.
Along with your eyebrows and forehead, your eyelashes also help to shield your eyes from the bright light of the sun. They're not a substitute for sunglasses, but they do help to filter the sunlight that shines in your eyes.
Compliments of Why do we need eyelashes?
Who cares right, it's just an eyelash and they fall out? You might not be affected by this but ask anyone who doesn't have them and see if their life is impacted by their absence. Dollars to donuts that often it's the one tiny absence that makes itself known in grandiose style.
The drummer boy sends a message to me right now about how it's not my perception of my gift that matters, it's the fact that I have one. Big or small, what matters is that I have a gift and I need to share it. Often we think we don't have a gift but really what's happening is that we are comparing. Just because you are not a concert pianist doesn't mean you don't have the gift of reading a story for instance or are able to give good directions. These helpful skills can be downplayed but that truly is a crime for someone could use the help. Often people will say that they can do this little thing and so what? So what? The truth is that your gift is crucial to someone else's reality, you just haven't me them yet or found the proper outlet. Instead on focusing on how little your gift is, ask the Universe to show you how you can bless others with it. It doesn't have to be flagrant to bless someone. Even the smallest gesture of good will can cause a ripple effect. The Little Drummer Boy gave an easy and amazing example of taking the only gift he had, which was his music, and sharing it with his appreciative audience. Imagine if each person just shared one small gift to someone else, what would this world look like? Eye meet your eyelash.
Today I can be like the Little Drummer Boy and enrich someone's life by just being me.