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?
Appreciate this thought – reminding us to value and express our feelings while people are still with us. Even a few kind words can mean a lot.
Nice thought, Prerna
My conversations with you have always inspired me to be a better version of myself
Because you always displayed your faith in my ability to be better. Thank you
Thank you for sharing this! It’s a gentle nudge to be more intentional about appreciating the people who’ve made a difference in our lives.
Your article reminded me of a person who was important to me, but left in an untimely manner… Thankyou for writing this so beautifully….
This is an excellent thought. “Appreciate before it is too late” should be made the norm not only at home but also at workplaces and even during the commute from one location to the other. Today social media thrives on dislike and hatred. And social media is the most used to way to “connect” now. High time to turn it around.
Absolutely… appreciating someone for their good deed at that very moment makes the person happy and also inspires the person to keep doing good things in life.
Thank you Prerna
Thanks for sharing, this is so true. Life is very brief.
True Prerna, It’s a strange and a sad pattern—people hold back their kindest words until it’s too late to share them with the person who actually needed to hear them. At funerals or in tributes, suddenly everyone remembers the warmth, the cooking, the small, beautiful details… but those words would have meant so much more when the person was still here.
Great series ma’am.
Hence I would like to take a moment to say thank you. You are doing a help to the humanity to help those souls who have really lost while living this life full of quick illusions & help break it also to come out of it.
I wish a magic wand 🪄was created which could help more people to come out of their miser thoughts and just connect as a soul but many can’t as clogged. Phew
RKH
🪷🙏🏼
Super thought and inspiring msg
Really something different
This made me stop in my tracks. We take people for granted so much that appreciating them does not even occur to us.
Thank you Prerna ma’am for this insight.
Very good thought good inspiration 👌👍
It’s a wonderful initiative. Even if it only lasts for “a few moments,” those moments are the building blocks of a person’s self-worth and your relationship with them. There is a profound psychological truth in the idea that being “seen” is one of the most fundamental human needs.