Blue Puzzle Piece

Recently I found myself at parent-child program anxiously waiting to hear if my 8 year old was going to win one of the many great prizes that was being raffled off. One of the prizes was 1000-piece puzzle that depicted a map of the entire world (probably a better prize for one of the older participants). I found myself thinking, what happens if she wins and we try to build this puzzle? What are the chances that we will not lose even one piece? I can just imagine being almost done the puzzle and one blue piece (in the Pacific Ocean)—with no lettering or other significant defining feature—disappearing and leaving us with an incomplete world.

Let’s take that image and use it as a metaphor for our existence in this world. There are many times where we wonder, was today significant? Did it matter? Do we matter? I see two ways of answering this question: The first is that every moment in life is a test. It may not seem that way, but I am 100% sure that the most boring and “insignificant” day of my life was made up of dozens if not hundreds of growth opportunities. A second approach to answering this question is to take a step back and realize that we are living in a spiritually interdependent world. We may not see how this day, this month, or this year in my life is specifically meaningful or important, but it can be hugely important in the greater scheme of things. We may feel like a blue puzzle piece with no name, no island, no point. In truth, we are an integral piece of an intricate world and what we do or do not do can literally keep the world turning spiritually. Our sages teach us that every person should see his/herself as if all of humanity’s actions are 50/50, and one mitzvah that I do individually will tip the scale of the entire world to the side of righteousness and blessing. I am a tiny piece in a huge puzzle, yet, that puzzle is utterly incomplete without me.