Silence is Difficult to Interpret

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”  William Ward

Several years ago, I saw a video from Simple Truths that touched me.  It illustrates well the impact that words of appreciation can have on another person.

This is the true story from the video:  Barbara Glanz, motivational speaker and author, began her presentation by asking the audience members to think of someone who has influenced their life – someone for whom they feel gratitude.  One man immediately thought of his 8^th grade teacher.  After the presentation, he decided to write this teacher to thank her for the impact she had on him.  Shortly after he sent his letter, he received one back.  His teacher wrote to tell him how touched she was by his letter.  None of her students had ever thanked her before.  She was now 83 and sometimes questioned the value of her life long work as a teacher.  What she didn’t know was that she was the one everyone talked about at reunions.  She was everyone’s favorite.  Her students loved her, but no one had ever told her.  In her letter, she told her former student that she would treasure his letter for the rest of her life.  The small kindness of this student had a huge rewarding impact on her.

I suspect this teacher, on some level, knew that she was doing a great job.  She might have seen that her students respected and responded to her.  However, nothing substitutes for hearing words of appreciation directly.

We are not mind readers.  Others may guess correctly how you feel or what you think about them, but they won’t know for sure unless you tell them.  It would be gratifying for those people who have made a difference to you to hear that directly from you.

Sadly, the absence of appreciation is all too common.  But each of us has the ability to change that.  We can each begin to thank and appreciate the people in our lives who make a difference to us.

I would like to encourage you to take positive steps to appreciate the people in your life who make a difference to you.  Consider who has made (or makes) an impact on you.  Please let your friend, teacher, co-worker, boss, coach, parent, or mentor know.  I suspect they’d be delighted to hear how you feel and how they’ve touched your life.

Make someone’s day!  I bet you’ll feel good that you did.

I’d love to hear about how you have thanked someone in your life who has had an impact on you.  Please share your stories in the comments below or by email to margy@moving-messages.com.

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