There are days when I am too weary of the pain of walking and
breathing to get out of bed. I still question my purpose for being here most
mornings. The universe has a way of giving you encouragement when most needed,
if you are open and willing.
December 3rd was a bad day for me in that I was more
depressed and discouraged than usual. I had been talking to my son and his wife
the night before about a memory of watching an episode of NCIS where Abby
starts a Living Rocks campaign; aka tell people why you are grateful when you
have them not as an epitaph when they are gone.
With that idea stuck in my head and feeling like a cancerous
Unicorn with a broken horn I checked my email as I try to at least 3x a week to
ensure there were no flames that had to be dealt with before curling up back in
bed.
I read an email from a business associate that gave me a sense
that there may be at some point, in the not too distant future, a point that life may
improve at least a little. This person was doing their job of course. They took
the time to explain what they were doing, a courtesy not given often. It made
me realize how seldom of late I took the time to do more than be polite to
those I must interact with in person. So I sent a short email to express my
gratitude.
Today I received a reply from her expressing how touched she was
at something that took me one brief moment of inspiration and 2 minutes of
effort. I resulted in something tangible she can carry with her for those hard
days.
This got me thinking once again. We are all so quick to offer ridicule,
to correct others, to honk at rude or careless drivers, to gaze sternly at
those weary parents that do not seem to have any control over rowdy children.
When is the last time I had offered praise, or corrected myself publicly, or smiled
and waved at a courteous driver, or offered patience and a smile to a weary
parent?
I have found that when I have a problem with a company and need to
communicate in real time I use online chat as often as possible. This allows me
to think and censure what I say before I say it. I am able to speak clearly,
kindly, and without emotional interference. Life does not afford that luxury in
line, face-to-face, in traffic, but a slow deep breath can at least provide a
buffer for you to consider what you are about to say and how it can impact the
person you are speaking to and how that may in response effect you.
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