Hello, Neighbor!

Dear Reader,

Today I walked past a couple people and acknowledged them because I knew them. Luckily for me I also remembered their names, but not everyone is blessed with my mother's gift of remembering everyone she has ever met. She seriously has this gift with people. Here's an example to illustrate: 

Imagine you meet my mom and talk to her for 5 minutes. Due to her nature, the conversation will probably focus on family and emotional state, but imagine talking with her about anything. She will give you a hug before you part ways. She does that. No matter who you are. Take note of the shirt you are wearing when you talk to her, too. 

Now, imagine yourself walking down the street or into a store 20 years from now. You haven't seen my mom during those 20 years. My mom, if she sees you, will not only recognize you and remember your name, but she will remember what shirt you were wearing the first time you met. Not only that, she will somehow remember to congratulate you on your most recent accomplishment/wish you a happy birthday/make a comment about something recent in your life without having talked to you in those 20 years. She will also ask about how your family is doing, probably mentioning each one of your family members by name. 

The best part about this experience is that you will not feel violated or stalked in any way because love is the only thing that comes from my mother. You will feel like the most spectacular person on the planet, even after she has given you a hug and parted ways with her again.  

With that in mind, I want to share with you what came to mind this week while I saw these people that I know in my life. We might not all have the extreme gift of love like my mother, but everyone one of us has the power to make someone's day. 

We are all familiar with the "awkward" situations of seeing someone that we might now but we are not sure from where or when. We often question whether to greet people in this circumstance because we don't want to create an awkward situation. Let me tell you this: if you say hi, they will feel important. They will think something along the lines of, "Someone knows me" or "I do matter." It may not be a conscious thought in their mind, but that feeling will come to them. 

I felt impressed to share this idea/realization with you after seeing the above picture on the wall of a good friend of mine (Yes. You, Jen). It made me think about people who struggle whether emotionally or mentally. Taking two seconds to say hi to them and flash them a smile might make the biggest difference in their day. I know at least two people who's lives have changed greatly merely because someone remembered their name in a drivers' ed class or said hi to them in the hallway in a Jr. High School.

This video, although in Spanish, explains the same idea of how much a simple "Good Morning" can do. The tag line is, "Greet others. Let's make it contagious."

I hope you have a great day and I encourage you to make the effort to say hi to that person that might nneed it today. :)