Thank you At Another Level

Last Wednesday I was at work, finishing up some last minute things before leaving to join my family for a road trip down to Illinois. An unknown number was calling me on my cell and I picked up thinking it was a recent acquaintance of mine- A woman I had briefly met in Atlanta several weekends before. She called and was excited, short of breath asking if I could spare a minute, flustered that she had called during work hours.

 I asked her if she needed anything and she admitted she had called to just say thank you. She said- “I just want you to know that I believe you are very powerful and beautiful and are a leader that leads with genuine humility.” We had shared a large group interaction together, and she commended me for being great throughout that interaction, and making a difference for her and others we were interacting with. I was dumfounded- what a call, a surprise.

I stammered out a thank you and quickly told her that was so generous of her and that her call made my day. She never said- “I am thankful for you”, but in her appreciation and compliment the message more than came across. In fact, she didn’t need to say it. Thanksgiving is a national holiday, though its theme is so very spiritual in my eyes. Its about being in community with others- or communing. And it is about pausing to recognize all of the people and things you are blessed with around you. It is easy for each of us to go around and tell family members and friends we are thankful for them, or shoot across a “Happy Thanksgiving” text.

This Thanksgiving was especially delightful for me, spending time with the Brust family But that thank you that I received on Wednesday, that is the type of recognition that really makes a difference. It leaves you with more than just warm fuzzies- highlighted by the unexpectedness and surprise, I was left knowing myself as greater than I thought I was before the interaction. As we jump into the holiday season- I wonder on ways to make a similarly profound difference with others. Yes I picked out the perfect Christmas gift for my mom yesterday, and I want all of my family members to know in a fresh and alive way how much I love them.

But the exploration, the generosity of the season I think exists in the difference we can make with our loose ties. The people we don’t usually talk to, who would never expect us to reach out to them and tell them we love them. That is where the magic is. I challenge every person reading this to be uncannily generous with 3 people you usually wouldn’t this December. To make people around you bigger than they thought themselves to be, to make them burn a little brighter.

Today is the first real snow. I am typing this as I look out my window at the darkening sky and thick, dusty snow flecks. Impenetrable and enchanting snow- makes me think of magic, of purity, of pristine natural elegance.