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KIND WORDS She Was There For Me When I Really Needed It The author wishes to remain anonymous Edited by Shmuel Greenbaum
Printed with Permission of
Some years ago, I was going through a great deal with my family. My grandmother was terminally ill, and a very dear friend was also dying. For months, I was literally going from hospital to hospital ... and then from funeral to funeral. Afterwards, I had a nervous breakdown of sorts. I went to a gathering of friends a few weeks later, and found I wasn't really ready for it. I really needed to leave and go home. The next morning, very early, one of the women called to find out if I was feeling any better. I wasn't -- I was anxious, nauseated, exhausted and very, very sad and weepy. She said, "Don't worry, honey, I'll see you a little later today." I thought she meant in the afternoon ... but no, she was standing at my front door within half an hour! I think she must have jumped right in the car and come straight over. I can't tell you how much that meant to me. My husband was feeling a little overwhelmed also; Teresa came in and made some tea and a light little breakfast that I could actually eat. She stayed with me until I was able to fall asleep. It’s been many years since then, and Teresa herself has passed on now. I will never forget her kindness, or the way that she was there for me when I really needed that gentle care.
From Kindness: Making a Difference in People's Lives: Formulas, stories, and insights By Zelig Pliskin Printed with Permission of Shaar Press I heard this story from one of my students: I ran for president of our organization. I had a good chance of winning and I kept visualizing the sweet taste of victory. I had a number of plans that I wanted to implement and I imagined vividly the steps I would take and the benefits to the whole organization. I pictured the smiles on the faces of my father and mother. I saw myself being congratulated by my family and friends. This was going to be the most exciting day of my life. I was in for a big shock. My opponent received more votes than I did. The first few moments were quite easy. I felt totally numb. I even shook hands with the winner and offered friendly congratulations, adding, "I’m certain you’ll do a good job." But then it hit me. I had lost. All my plans and dreams went up in smoke. I felt dejected and humiliated. An older gentleman whom I greatly respected came to me the next day. "I know how you feel. I was once in a similar situation. I remember the shock and devastated feelings. For me this was the beginning of many accomplishments. It gave me a sense of humility and perspective. You are a great person and will accomplish a lot in your lifetime. It might take a while to get over it. Remember these feelings so you will be able to help others who have been defeated. Often the most successful people in world history were those who made comebacks after defeat. We can talk as often as you wish." I was profoundly grateful. This speeded up my emotional healing immensely. Say kind and encouraging words to people who have been defeated in any way. Losing can be painful. At times intensely so. Go out of your way to convey words of consolation. Write a letter, make a telephone call, send a gift. Successful people know that every defeat is an added challenge. There are lessons to be learned. Defeat can strengthen your character. As you think about past defeats, continually grow from them. This will enable you to help others in a more effective way. Your own defeats are tools for spiritual victories. Be careful not to just mouth platitudes. Feelings of compassion and empathy along with a simple, "I’m sorry," can be more powerful than more lengthy words uttered without feeling. When you encourage people after they have suffered defeats, one day you will be told by a highly successful person, "I owe my success to you."
Kind Words is a free weekly e-mail distributed by Partners In Kindness. The archive for Kind Words e-mails is located at: Although the content of these e-mails contains copyrighted material, Partners in Kindness allows users who register at our website to reprint them in print, on a website, or on an e-mail distribution list at no cost. If you have permission to reprint this e-mail, please ensure that you reprint the entire e-mail (including this notice). Names of people, places, and other details mentioned in these stories may have been changed to protect privacy. Kindness is like music, art, sports or any other discipline -- it can only be mastered with practice, training, and lots and lots of encouragement. That is what PartnersInKindness.org is trying to promote. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PartnersInKindness For further information, please visit our Website http://www.PartnersInKindness.org e-mail: info@... ----------------------------------------------------------------- To un-subscribe send a blank e-mail to: Kindness-unsubscribe@... To subscribe send a blank e-mail to: Kindness-subscribe@... |
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