Recently I was at an event where I saw a woman I have great admiration for. I have known her for many years. I have admired her strength, courage, compassion, grace, and tremendous love for others for as long as I have known her. I also do not see her in person very often so I always consider it a treat when I do. When I left the event I made sure to say good bye to her and as she hugged me, she also said "I just love you."
It may seem odd but those words, as opposed to "I love you," really moved me. I wish I could think of the words to describe how it made me feel. It was kindness. It was care. It was honest. It was simple.
The impact of those four, simple words left me wondering why I was so moved by them.
I wonder if we hesitate to tell people how much they really mean to us out of fear. Fear of rejection, fear we won't hear a similar sentiment in return, fear of hurt?
How often do we tell those most important to us how much they mean to us? Do we tell them we love them? Value them? Treasure them? Admire them?
When someone tells us those very things how do we feel? Blessed? Thankful? Stronger? Valued?
It is so easy to point out flaws, shortcomings, failures, mistakes, and errors in others and ourselves. It is easy to focus on the negative. It is easy to look at how others are not measuring up to our standards or expectations.
It is easy to have greater expectations and less grace. Mercy is eroding and we are quick to pass judgement.
So when a person speaks words of kindness in the midst of all this, they are almost life giving. They restore a part of us that is meant to be built up. They remind us that we are a part of a greater community and have much to contribute. They remind us we have a lot to offer the world around us.
Yes we are flawed. Yes we are imperfect. We are supposed to be. We are also, in our imperfections, supposed to be coming alongside one another to help us become better, more caring, more compassionate, more giving.
It is hard to be any of those things if we are not being filled up them. It can be hard to reach out and build others up when we are not being built up.
Yet change is possible. It is easiest to create change with small steps and goals. We cannot change ourselves overnight. We definitely cannot change anyone else. What we can do is make a decision to change our thoughts which will in turn change our actions.
When we think differently, we speak differently. When we speak differently, hopefully we inspire others to do the same. Making ourselves a bit more vulnerable can be worth it. Sometimes, putting others before ourselves can reap unexpectedly amazing rewards.
It may seem odd but those words, as opposed to "I love you," really moved me. I wish I could think of the words to describe how it made me feel. It was kindness. It was care. It was honest. It was simple.
The impact of those four, simple words left me wondering why I was so moved by them.
I wonder if we hesitate to tell people how much they really mean to us out of fear. Fear of rejection, fear we won't hear a similar sentiment in return, fear of hurt?
How often do we tell those most important to us how much they mean to us? Do we tell them we love them? Value them? Treasure them? Admire them?
When someone tells us those very things how do we feel? Blessed? Thankful? Stronger? Valued?
It is so easy to point out flaws, shortcomings, failures, mistakes, and errors in others and ourselves. It is easy to focus on the negative. It is easy to look at how others are not measuring up to our standards or expectations.
It is easy to have greater expectations and less grace. Mercy is eroding and we are quick to pass judgement.
So when a person speaks words of kindness in the midst of all this, they are almost life giving. They restore a part of us that is meant to be built up. They remind us that we are a part of a greater community and have much to contribute. They remind us we have a lot to offer the world around us.
Yes we are flawed. Yes we are imperfect. We are supposed to be. We are also, in our imperfections, supposed to be coming alongside one another to help us become better, more caring, more compassionate, more giving.
It is hard to be any of those things if we are not being filled up them. It can be hard to reach out and build others up when we are not being built up.
Yet change is possible. It is easiest to create change with small steps and goals. We cannot change ourselves overnight. We definitely cannot change anyone else. What we can do is make a decision to change our thoughts which will in turn change our actions.
When we think differently, we speak differently. When we speak differently, hopefully we inspire others to do the same. Making ourselves a bit more vulnerable can be worth it. Sometimes, putting others before ourselves can reap unexpectedly amazing rewards.
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