All things happen for a reason.
A couple of years ago I noticed a very elegant elderly lady in my local shopping village. She looked fantastic & I couldn’t let the opportunity pass by without saying something to her. It’s not something I normally do. I told her she looked very elegant. She smiled and said thank you. She mentioned no one ever tells her that anymore. I thought it was a bit sad, but we went our separate ways and I never thought about it again until this week.
On Wednesday I was out shopping at a large regional centre. As I was paying for one of my purchases, the woman behind the counter told me I looked fantastic. She asked if I’d just had my hair done. I mentioned I hadn’t I just have a good stylist who makes it easy for me to do it myself. I thanked her and told her she’d made my day which was true.
It was later whilst driving home I recalled meeting the elderly woman. In that moment I understood how she must have felt when I complimented her. I realised, how much I miss compliments and how important they are for our feelings of wellbeing and self-worth. My late hubby always told me how nice I looked. When I was feeling low, he would always say something positive to lift my spirit. Now I’m on my own there is no one to do that. I realised how much I miss it.
We all need a boost now and then. More so those of us who are dealing with loss when for many our feelings of self-worth have been severely shattered. When a loved one dies, an important source of positive reinforcement dies as well. That hadn’t really dawned on me until this week.
Positive reinforcement is so important. Particularly so when it’s in the form of a heartfelt compliment received from people we have never met.
I think that lady (some years ago) came into my life (albeit fleetingly) to remind me of the importance of being spontaneous. Not to feel shy about giving someone you’ve never met a boost. Trust me, it can make all the difference. I’m so glad I made the connection this week. Lesson learned.
You see all things do happen for a reason.
