Tuesday, May 23, 2006 There was a humorous but ironically painful quote heard at a recent funeral: "They say such nice things about people at their funerals that it makes me sad that I'm going to miss mine by just a few days." The old adage of "saving the best for last" often holds true when it comes to sharing our feelings and thoughts about a person. We tend to save our best and warmest thoughts for the very final ceremonies: a person's departure from their employment, a person's departure from a geographical location or a person's departure from this Life. An elderly sage attempted to explain the phenomena to me by theorizing, "Perhaps people are afraid that compliments and accolades will simply go to a person's head..." To which I ask, "What about the person's heart?" There is a dear friend of mine named Kate Boyle. Perhaps you know her? She is one of the persons I think of first when I think of those individuals that take note of the heart. She has always been quick with a compliment and a "Do you know what I like about you?" statement to others. Ah, to have more Kate Boyles in the world. She saves nothing for last but spends her reserves each day. Why? Because she knows the two most important secrets: (1) there is an infinite amount given to us to compliment and cheer on others, but, paradoxically, (2) there's no guarantee that we'll be here tomorrow. So, that is our dilemma, my friend... We each may very well miss the nice things said about us by a few days, but don't allow that to happen to others. If you had infinite wealth, would you stockpile your riches if you knew you wouldn't be here tomorrow? Then what's stopping you from sharing something even more valuable with others: your feelings toward them? One final note concerning this very topic: Don't worry about your compliments, feelings and accolades going to another person's head. It should. Perhaps it may eventually find its way to their heart. |
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