I was watching a video showing Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, being asked about how she would inspire children of our nation to reach the great heights that she has reached in her career and in her overall life. She choked up when she answered the senator’s question. Ketanji Brown Jackson made a point that sometimes it is the smallest gestures that make a huge difference in people’s lives. She relayed the story of being a black young lady from Miami, with a public school background, being at Harvard University for the first time, during her first semester freshman year. She was not used to the cold weather of Boston, nor the abundance of prep school kids who grew up with an entirely different background that she had, and she was terribly homesick. She was questioning whether she really belonged there. Jackson said that as she was walking dejectedly on the campus, an anonymous black woman came up to her, out of nowhere, looked her straight in the eye and said to her, “Persevere.” Obviously, she never forgot that moment. Ketanji Brown Jackson was relaying this very story about a stranger, as she was choked up with emotion, to a senator during the hearings to see if she will become the newest justice of The United States Supreme Court, and to be the first black woman ever to achieve this role.
Today, I don’t want to talk about favorite things like I usually do on Fridays. Physical things are great. They make life fun and interesting and creative and tactile and sensory. They evoke happy feelings when we are experiencing using and admiring the things that we love. There is nothing wrong with physical things, particularly our favorite things. But today, I pose this question. What are three of your favorite things that people have done for you that have left a lasting impression on you, and possibly even changed your life??
This morning my friend shared a text of a beautiful jar, created for her, by her daughter for her birthday. It is filled with little pieces of paper saying different things that she loves about her mother. It reminded me of my third grade teacher, who every week, would make a poster with one of us students’ individual names at the top. All week long, the other students would go up and write what was uniquely special and interesting about that particular student. At the end of the week, each student went home with their poster, filled with pride and happiness that their unique qualities were noticed and admired and appreciated. I never forgot that experience. I loved my poster and I was so happy for every “student of the week”, in anticipation of their feelings of joy and connectedness.
Sometimes it is the littlest gestures that mean the most. When my husband and I were first married, we were visiting people, and we ended up having a difficult, tumultuous, emotional time with these people. I was dejected as I got into the shower, anticipating an even more upsetting evening as we were all heading out to dinner. My husband had just showered before me, and as I reached for the soap, I saw that he had carved, “It’s okay. I love you,” into the soap. It is these small, kind gestures that make me fall in love with him again and again.
Use some time of this glorious Friday in your life, to reflect on all of the small but meaningful kindnesses bestowed on to you, and also reflect on kindnesses which you felt compelled to bestow on to others. This is love in action. What are some of your most favorite memories of kindness and inspiration and hope in your life? This will flood you with wonderful, hopeful feelings in this time, in the history of the world, which we so desperately need more of these feelings of lovingness to abound.
(And if you are so inclined, I would love if you, my readers, would share some of your stories about these kindnesses in my Comments section.)
Have a great weekend!!!
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
Kelly,
I love your sharing of the stories of your life.
First, were words of calm and support from my brother. When I entered into training for a new job, I remember calling him from the hotel lobby phone in NJ where our training class was staying (cell phones weren’t around then) I did not want my roommate to hear me. I was crying and I told him how inadequate I felt. Others in training had gone to big name schools, I did not, I did not think I was very smart, and I did not think I would make it through training. My brother said to me, “look at where you are!” “Someone thought you were worthy to be there, and in-spite of all the credentials other people have, you are there among them!” It changed my attitude and gave me the confidence to feel I belonged and I did make it through training!
Second, when I used to travel for my job, managers would travel with me, I would start the day off with an upset stomach and be so nervous that I would not perform well because I knew I was being scrutinized & judged. I remember my husband saying, “drive safely”, it is the most important thing of all…your safety. The rest we can handle. Made me put everything into perspective and not worry so much about those managers ridicule of me.
Third, most recently, I started my own little business with support from the woman I used to work for in Pittsburgh. I worked handwriting thank you notes to donors who gave to non-profits. I loved this idea. I worked really hard and turned my jobs around quickly. The owner liked me and when I moved to Florida, I asked her if I could continue to work with her. She told me she needed someone to do marketing and sales, and I did that for her from my new location. About a year ago, she changed course, and did not need me to fill that position. But it was all I thought about. I wanted to take this same idea and use it with businesses. When I would travel back and forth to Pittsburgh, we often got together for dinner. In Jan.when we were having dinner, I shared with her that I think about starting my own business here, in Florida, she was all for it. I told her I did not feel prepared to do it. She provided me with encouragement and answered all my questions about starting out. She sent me an email with documents that she has been using, and the last thing she sent me was a picture of a woman holding up a white sign & in green lettering in read, JUST DO IT. ( I can envision it now.) And I did. That weekend, I went to a local home show in my county and without business cards, and a few samples I had made, I just did it! I was nervous, and a bit scared, but I was so happy to share with her that I made that leap…and I got my first client. When I called to tell her about my day, she told me, “Joan, nothing would make me happier than for you be successful!”
Yeah, I have tears in my eyes, I am truly blessed.
Thanks to anyone who read this whole thing….it was great to put those experiences into words…and to be reminded of the amazing people God puts in our lives, and who know what to say at the right time, to help us along our journey!
Like you, Kelly, your sharing and this blog has been a blessing to me!
Joan, I read this to the end and I LOVED every minute of it. The theme of it spoke to me was the overall importance of perspective and people showing you that they believed in you, so that you could transfer that belief in yourself! Thank you so much for sharing these inspirational true stories!! <3
Joan, thank you for sharing those experiences. You’ve got me thinking …
Thank you for reading to the end….it was long.