Ever wonder if you're making a difference in someone's life? If the words you say or the deeds you do, whether you intend them to or not, are affecting anyone?
Ever have the thoughts of what would be said at your funeral & how people would remember you once you're gone? Wouldn't it be nice if people told you how they really felt about you & how much they appreciated you before you're six-feet-under ... while you can say "thank you" & continue to make a difference ...
I got a thank you card in the mail today like one I've never received before. It wasn't for having gone to a wedding or a baby shower or having bought a friend an amazing birthday gift. It wasn't for doing a good job on a project at work or helping a neighbor with yard work. The card actually wasn't even about me really! & even though it didn't have much to do about me, this was probably the best thank you card I've ever received.
This thank you was thanking me for sharing my mom during a difficult time in someone else's life. While one of my mom's dear friends was going through very difficult health situations, & into his last days, my mom was there for him every day, 24/7. Not only was my mom there for him, but she was there to offer whatever support she could to his family & friends, even his roommate at the nursing home! Who does that?!?! She's amazingly selfless ... it's awesome! Anyway, back to the thank you card ... the card went on to say thank you to my husband & I for sharing my mom & sacrificing our time with her so that she could be there when this other person needed her, all hours of the day & night. The family of this person put in writing how much they appreciated that she was there during this extremely difficult time & that without her support, they may not have been able to get through it all as well as they did. Basically, they put in writing exactly how they felt about my mom & how much they appreciated her words & actions & then they shared those feelings with me as a thank you. It was pretty moving. I think we should all do this ...
Like I said before, why wait until someone's gone to express how you really feel about them? Why wait until they're unable to appreciate your appreciation of them before you let them know how much they mean to you? Why do we do this? Why is it so hard for us to let others know how thankful we are of what they do? What I think I liked most about this thank you card was that it was sent to me & not my mom. How great is it to express your gratitude for someone & how much they mean to you by letting someone else know how you feel! It shows that you're not looking for anything in return from your "thank you" because it's not even going to the person you're talking so highly about. It shows that you just simply wanted to express your gratitude ... period. No agenda. No ulterior motive. No hidden anything.
Just something to think about ... consider telling the people in your life what they mean to you & how much you appreciate them. & I mean really telling them, not just telling your partner or kid "thanks for taking the garbage out, I appreciate it". I mean really taking the time to tell someone that what they do means something to you or that what they did really helped you out ... especially those people who you may not see often & may overlook saying "thank you" to. Think about putting it into writing even. I'll tell ya, getting this card & having something physical to touch & hold & re-read when you may be doubting yourself & wondering if what you're doing means anything, it's pretty powerful. Just think about it ...
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