The Small Things That Quietly Shape You
- Deanna Fontaine
- Mar 22
- 2 min read
Never discount the value of the games and puzzles we played as children. Some of them shaped us in ways we didn’t even notice.
Do you remember "Where’s Waldo?"
As a child, I would visit the small library in my village, and there was a little activity booklet which I absolutely loved. I can’t remember the name of the booklet, but I certainly remember the joy of searching for Waldo hidden among crowds of people and colorful scenes.
I took pride in finding him.
Who knew that something so simple would still be useful years later?
Today, when my family and I are searching for something that seems impossible to find, I am often able to identify it by the smallest detail — just a corner, a color, a tiny piece of it peeking out. Many times I laugh and say, “Thank God for Where’s Waldo?”
Growing up, I also loved doing all sorts of logic puzzles. At the time, it was simply fun and a way to challenge my mind. Looking back now, I realize that those puzzles shaped the way I think.
They have influenced the way I approach situations today. I pay close attention to details, notice patterns, and naturally look for what’s missing or how things can be made better.
In many ways, we were being prepared long before we realized it. Psychological principles support the connection between childhood play and adult behavior. The games children play often help develop the cognitive and emotional skills they carry into adulthood (Dag et al., 2021).
But long before psychology explained it, scripture already spoke to it. The Bible reminds us to:“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
Therefore, what we expose children to matters.
The books they read.
The games they play.
The conversations we have with them.
The opportunities we give them to think, explore, and grow.
I will admit that parenting is not always easy. It doesn't come with a manual, and most of us are simply doing the best we can with the knowledge we have at the time.
But moments that seem small today can quietly shape our children into the adults they will become tomorrow.
Sometimes it’s not the big lessons that stay with them.
Sometimes it’s a puzzle.
A game.
A story.
A quiet afternoon in a village library, searching for Waldo.
Looking back now, I realize those moments were shaping more than I understood at the time — quietly preparing me for who I would become.
What games, activities, or experiences from your childhood do you think helped shape who you are today?
References
Dag, N. C., Turkkan, E., Kacar, A., & Dag, H. (2021). Children's only profession: Playing with
toys. Northern clinics of Istanbul, 8(4), 414–420. https://doi.org/10.14744/nci.2020.48243
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