Little Things

Written By: Kathy Lockard, A Flavor of the East End Attendee

Sometimes, it's the Little Things that make a Big Thing extra special. Like Saturday night at EECM’s gala, A Flavor of the East End. It was a lovely evening and I think a big part of the reason that the atmosphere of the event was so enjoyable was the attention paid to the little things.

Little things, like the colors blue and green -- the same green that EECM uses on their website and newsletters. It was on the invitation and program. It was on the posters that lined the aquarium walkway and the banner hanging from the balcony. It was the color of the patio table covers. It was one of the colors of the shiny mystery boxes. Even some of the staff and special guests wore green! It's possible, of course, to go overboard with a color theme. But they didn't. Because the green was complemented by an ocean blue (Aquarium - remember?). The same blue that was also on the invitations and programs and inside table covers. When we entered the Aquarium, we were met by wait staff carrying trays of vivid blue drinks in martini glasses with a lime slice that looked surprisingly like the invitations.

Little things, like the glass block lights on the auction table and the glass block vases with flowers on the inside tables -- flowers that were carefully arranged by enthusiastic (and skillful) volunteers. Little things, like the colorful item description cards at the silent auction that so perfectly complimented the rest of the décor. Little things, like the fabulous iced polar bear cookies everyone received as they left the party (the work of another dedicated Friend of EECM and polar bears).

So, what do these little things have to do with the mission and passion of EECM? Does a polar bear cookie really make EECM special? Perhaps not, but to me, it says several things about the staff and volunteers at EECM. It says they enjoy what they do. It says they are willing to invest themselves in their work. And most importantly, it says they understand that what may seem like Little Things to some of us - like a clean kitchen in the men's shelter, or a bowl of soup on a cold day, or book of your very own, can make a big difference in someone's life.