Those 70ish Girls

I’m about to state something profound. The older you get, the more people have passed before you. That’s not meant to be depressing. It’s the memory of people that keeps them alive. Remember the Maya Angelou saying? “People won’t remember what you said or did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” The best thing ever is being made to feel loved.

I remember when our daughter, Heidi was a teenager, she made the comment that her dad told her he loved her by changing the oil in her car. She was right to observe that. Back then, Kip was not prolific with the, “I love yous,” he says it much more often, now. Regardless, sometimes it’s the things you do that say I love you much more loudly than what you say.

Our anniversary was a few days ago and Kip came home from the store with a box of chocolates. I felt badly that I hadn’t gotten him anything. In all fairness, he just had a birthday, and I did get him a gift. Anyway, I had spent the morning making him sugar-free oatmeal raisin cookies. He is trying to watch his weight and is pre-diabetic. That was showing him I love him, right?

I feel like I’m preaching what everybody already knows. Just remember the things you do speak to people. Sometimes they can say I love you, and sometimes they can say, I’m just not that into you. Also, remember when you’re gone, people are going to remember how you made them feel, loved a lot, or not so much.

We tell our small children and pets we love them by talking baby talk to them. “Mummy wuvs you witto feetie.” Or, “Rylie is a dood boy.” I often wonder how our kids grow up to talk right. “Her is a good girl and him is mummy’s biggest little man.”

Do something today to make someone feel loved, appreciated, and respected. It will make you feel good, too.