A few days back I was at a prayer meeting of a relative who had passed. The deceased was popular amongst her family and friends. Quite a few people had a lot to share about the deceased’s nature, which was a clear indication of how the person had touched their lives. While listening to them, questions arose in my mind. What is the use of sharing now? Isn’t it too late? Did that person know how they felt? I wasn’t judging the people’s sharing but felt it was such a waste if the concerned person didn’t know about it when alive.

As these thoughts ran past my mind, I was reminded of some of my family members who are not alive anymore. There have been so many members I had been very fond of. I had tremendous respect for them and still continue to talk about them whenever an opportunity permits. However, did those people know what they meant to me? Maybe, some of them knew and some didn’t. Did they know the qualities I admired about them? The reason why they meant something to me? Probably not. Today, I feel, it would have made them happy to know that the care, compassion, love, support, help that they had showered on me had not gone unnoticed. They would have been happy to know that they had played a part (irrespective of how small or big) in helping me become who I am.

Each one of us has some strengths or qualities which are unique to us and worthy of being appreciated. If we make an attempt, we will be able to find at least one trait, quality, habit of most people we know. Can we try to share those with them? It would not only bring a smile on that person’s face but that smile would also make us happy. Maybe that person would get to know a quality about himself that he was not aware he possessed.

I have decided to start sharing at least one quality that I admire of each person who has touched my life, with them. I would like to go a step further and not restrict it only to close family members and friends but also those who may not be that close but I admire something about them. In this way, I would like to acknowledge their presence in my life and what it means to me. It would take a couple of months for me to reach out to every member, but it wouldn’t be so difficult if I decide to connect with just one person every day. I want to do it when that person is alive to hear it from me and I am alive to be able to express, before it is too late. I do not know how this will be received or whether it would make any difference to anyone. I feel, appreciation and acknowledgement always make people happy. This is my small effort of making a few people happy (even if for a few moments) by letting them know that they matter to me. Would you like to join me in making a few more people happy?