People need appreciation =D

A few years ago, I began to prepare my children for the fact that Christmas that year was going to be a small one. Their response was "Yeah sure, Mom, we've heard that before!". I had lost my credibility because I had told them the same thing the previous year, while going through a divorce.


That night, I gave each of the children three pieces of stationary with envelopes. At the top of each page were the words, "What I love about my sister, Mia". "What I love about my brother Erik", "What I love about my sister, Lisa", "What I love about my brother Kris". They could find just one thing they liked about each other. 


Next day, we all got up and sat around the tree and open the envelopes. Erik, the youngest wasn't expecting to hear anything nice about him. His brother written, "What I love about Erik is he's not afraid of anything!". Mia had written, "What I love about my brother Erik is he can talk to anybody!". Lisa had written: "What I love about my brother Erik is he can climb trees higher than anyone!".


I felt a gentle tug at my sleeve, then a small hand cupped around my ear and Erik whispered, "Mom, I didn't even know they liked me!"

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Most people need to hear those 'three little words'. Once in a while, they hear them just in time. I have a friend named Connie. Connie was in the final stages of her fight against cancer. But 1 day she said something about her husband, "Oh, I know Bill loves me, he's a very kind man, but he has never been one to say he loves me, or send cards to me. I'd give anything if he'd say 'I love you', nut it's just not his nature." 

One day, over the cafeteria, I got Billy on the subject of women and how we need romance in our lives; how we love to get sentimental cards and love letters. "Do you tell Connie you love her?" I asked and he looked at me as if I was crazy. "I don't have to. She knows I do!" he said. 

"I'm sure she knows but she needs to hear it, Bill. She needs to hear what she has meant to you all these years. Please think about it". 

Two days later I walked down the hospice ward at noon. There stood Bill, leaning up against the wall in the hallway, staring at the floor. I already knew from the head nurse that Connie had died at 11 am. When Bill saw me, he allowed himself to come into my arms for a long hug. "I have to say something," he said. "I have to say how good I feel about telling her. I thought a lot about what you said, and this morning I told her how much I loved her. You should seen her SMILE! I went into the room to say my goodbye to Connie. On the bedside table, was a large Valentine card from Bill says, "To my wonderful wife.... I LOVE YOU."

                                                        -Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul

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