Pondering... 30 in 30 - Day 25
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 3:00 AM Words of kindness. We often forget to share them. We discount how far reaching or significant they may be. Words that lay unspoken like an infant’s sock dropped on a neighborhood sidewalk. Abandoned. Never to be paired with their match. Earlier this day someone took a moment to consider my sock. A friend from the remote past (one I still envision at 18 even though she’s well past the half century mark) offered me the profound gift of her simple yet generous words. Why today? Why not?
A smile, a word, a nod, a note can change another’s day or life. With little effort on our part we can offer the encouragement or reinforcement another may need. I would never have known this woman read my words unless she told me. How do people know we care if we don’t speak out? Forget the “they should know,” because chances are they don’t. We’ve become a world of wanna be mind readers and last time I checked, it wasn’t particularly effective. There’s no way I could have known where my words had reached without this friend declaring our connection.
When was the last time you offered a generous word for "no good reason"? Is there someone whose name you think is cool? Tell them. Do you think his phrase was perfect or her tenacity and brilliance admirable? Offer it up. Even brilliant people have doubts. Remember: a smile, a word, a nod, a note can change another’s day or life. Why not begin today?
Corby... this one's for you with gratitude!!
Diamonds in the Soul - helping high-functioning, under-living people recover and nourish personal delight & joy in life.
Friendship, Grace, Mindfulness, Pondering, Witness
Reader Comments (3)
I enjoy your postings and often quote them to the love of my life, my wife. Thank you.
ah, shea - that's what i'm talkin' about. thanks for making my heart sing today!!
Every day there are small acts of kindness on Twitter, some might be surprised to find, as random as as an unexpected "follow" mention or as deliberate as a "thank you" for sharing some item. It's one of the very few social media sites where an etiquette is in place... and typically observed. And it's amazing how much people get out of the kindness of being noticed in that space flooded with tweets useful and not.