The Things We Mean to Say
We don’t always know the difference we've made in someone’s life. Sometimes appreciation gives us the only glimpse we'll ever get.
Krista and I spent an hour at a local spot, chatting and getting to know each other.
A day or two later, a handwritten note arrived in the mail.
“Thank you for such a special hour,” she wrote. Her day had been very crazy, but the time we spent together had been just what she needed. She thanked me for bringing a big smile to her face.
I was surprised.
I knew I had enjoyed our conversation. I didn’t know I had helped her in that way. It felt good to learn that our time together had mattered.
And if Krista hadn’t sent the note, I probably never would have known.
I still have it.
We move through life affecting people in ways we may never see. A conversation helps someone through a difficult day. A kind word gives them confidence at just the right moment. Something that felt small to us stays with them.
We know how other people have affected us. We don’t always know how we have affected them.
Appreciation can close that gap.
When we tell someone what they did and what it meant to us, we give them information they may not have: You made a difference.
But so much appreciation never makes it that far.
We assume people know. We decide the moment wasn’t important enough to mention. We mean to send the note or make the call, but life gets busy and the thought remains a thought.
Krista didn’t assume I knew.
She told me exactly what our time together had meant to her. Her note wasn’t tied to an accomplishment or a special occasion. It simply showed me an impact I couldn’t have seen on my own.
That is what appreciation can do.
Who has made a difference in your life without realizing it?
Tell them what they did. Tell them what it meant.
They may have no idea.
