
(Lisa Leonard’s birthday post on Facebook.)
I attended two funerals last week. At each of them, people shared how the deceased person touched their lives. Some stories were funny. Some were touching. All made me wonder why we don’t say this kind of stuff to each other when we’re still alive!
With my 59th birthday days away, I decided to ask on Facebook: “How have I helped you?” I invited my contacts to share their memories in the Comments. To my sheer delight, I received more than 50 responses; examples of how I’ve helped aspiring voice actors, old classmates, even people I’ve only met on Zoom!
Have you read the book “The 5 Love Languages?” It’s a helpful guide to knowing what makes you feel loved and how you like to show love. The author, Gary Chapman, has identified that most of us fall into one of these categories: Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Acts of Service. Since my Love Language is Acts of Service, it’s important for me to “do” for others. To help where I can. That’s why I’m an active volunteer with Rotary and the Philly Ad Club. It’s a way for me to give back and be of service.
So to pose this “how have I helped you” question on Facebook and read real examples of how I really did make a positive impact on some people, well, that was a great birthday gift!
So I’m gifting you the encouragement to try it yourself! Post your own prompt and see what responses come back to you. I’ll bet they’ll make you feel good. And honestly, wouldn’t you rather hear some kind words now, rather than at your funeral?
By the way, if you’re looking for a way to make a difference and help people, you’ll find some “no-cost” ideas in one of my earlier blog posts.