We had a gathering of close family members this weekend to celebrate my husband’s birthday, and just before serving supper, I asked for the partying to pause for a moment so I could thank our guests for coming and being part of our celebration. I hadn’t thought to ask anyone to make a toast, but my sister-in-law spoke up, raised her glass and said, “Johnny is one of the kindest, gentlest people I know. He has been there for our family whenever we needed him, and it is an honor to be here to celebrate him and his birthday.”
It was so simple, but so sincere, and I could not have scripted anything to be more touching or perfect for making my wonderful husband feel special.
So my reflection today is short and simple: if you love, admire, or respect someone, find a way to let them know how you feel, whether in person, by phone, or by note. In the case of your closest family, you may assume they already know, but it’s still something everyone loves to hear. In some cases, you might be very surprised to learn the recipient of your expression of affection or admiration may actually not realize how you feel.
Life is fleeting. Never take for granted those whose lives have touched you or the power you have to nourish their heart and soul with a few simple words. Who needs to hear from you today?
Oh Elizabeth, lovely, simply lovely. You got me thinking of those I may have not have shared my feelings with lately. Thank You!
Thanks so much, Mickey. It’s a message I need to give myself all the time, but it was on my mind especially today.
I try to, in person. I make my son, DIL, and grands actually stop. And then I pause and say, “I love you.” I wrote a half dozen handwritten notes this weekend. I think I might call my brother tonight.
You go, girl. It’s something we all do in spurts, I think, and it’s easy to get on a guilt trip about it. That, of course, wasn’t my intention. I just want to remind readers — and myself — that when we’re thinking about how much we love or respect someone, we should also ask ourselves if the time might be right to let them know.
Elizabeth, it is so true that often we don’t know what others think of us neither do they know what we think of them. I was commenting to a co-worker one time about one of our young, inexperienced co-workers and how impressed I was with how she was handling a very stressful job. She overheard part of what I’d said, so my counselor friend to whom I made the initial comment, suggested I let her know how I felt. We haven’t worked together for several years now, but I still run into her from time to time and we always have time for a chat. Without that exchange, I’m sure I would just be “that old lady she used to work with.”
This is a wonderful example, Esther, and I’m so grateful to you for sharing it. Imagine all the times we might have made a difference to someone but we’ll never know. We have to just keep on making the effort and trust that the connection mattered.