Just Say It

Many years ago I learned a valuable lesson. Don't ever pass on the opportunity to say something nice to someone. I learned it the hard way. I was a very young mother at the time. We lived in the rural countryside of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Jason was a toddler and Jeremy was an infant. Jeremy had recently been baptised at Mt. Hope UMC. A few Sundays later I was trying to get the boys into the car after church and had just completed strapping them into their car seats when I noticed the wife of the minister standing by the church door. She and her husband were elderly and were filling in until we received a new minister. I wanted to go and show her how the boys were growing. I was so proud of them. But I didn't. I made a promise that the next Sunday I would seek her out and talk to her. That opportunity never came. She passed away that week. I was so angry at myself for not taking the time to say something when I had the chance. I vowed then and there that I would not let opportunities like that pass me by again. I have tried very hard to live up to my promise. I have commented to various bank tellers on how nice they look that day. No flattery intended. No response needed. I just say what I am thinking about when I see it. I have stopped people while walking downtown or at the mall and told them how nice they look in a particular color that they are wearing. I catch them by surprise. Sometimes they blush. But they are always thankful to be noticed. A couple of weeks ago, as I was working my way into the center of the church pew, a perfume fragrance caught my attention as it wafted by. I sat down then got back up and went to the end of the row and told the lady seated there that I liked her perfume. She looked up and quietly whispered "Este Lauder". Her face was beaming. The other day as I stood in the line at the post office I spied a jolly, rather rotund gentleman in a bright turquoise sweater. On his way out I said to him "I really like your sweater. You look good in that color." He laughed and right there in front of all those people he asked me for a date. Everyone had a good chuckle. Of course, someone mentioned that his wife might mind. Again, there was a round of laughter. So.....this brings me to today. Bad news but a good memory. I had heard that a small plane had gone down into the gulf just off Venice Beach two days ago. This mornings paper brought the sad news that the pilot was someone I knew and had talked to many times. It was Mr. Lawrence. My insurance guy. He was a people person and just a nice guy in general. Whenever I was in his office (his office is 1/2 block from my home) we would talk. He was about my age. We had kids that were in college at the same time. We compared notes on teen drivers. I always carried the top of the line policy with him (State Farm) because there is nothing I wanted to protect more than my kids. Mr. Lawrence was a skilled pilot. He was a Navy pilot who flew missions in Viet Nam. He was careful. And then this. Although I am very sad I will not be able to talk to him anymore, I value the short conversations we did have. I am glad I was not in too much of a rush to stop and talk. So, today I am reminded again of my promise I made to myself so many years ago. Take the time. Say something nice. Just say it.