you can read this normally, or you can make it unnecessarily cinematic with me :)
one of my biggest joys in life is knowing that i’ve positively impacted someone, in whatever way possible, however small it might be.
yesterday, i was reminded of just how incredible that feels.
someone in my circle someone i had only met once, over a year ago reached out to me out of the blue. we had spent some time together when we first met, and a few months later exchanged a few messages, getting to know each other a little more.
then yesterday, she sent me something that genuinely made my entire day.
she appreciated me for something i had done or really, just for the way i had been with her and mentioned how comfortable it had always felt talking to me almost like talking to someone she had known for a long time. the funny thing is, i don’t even think it was intentional on my part. i wasn’t trying to say the perfect thing or make an impression. i was just being myself.
but apparently, that little interaction had stayed with her. it had made her feel comfortable and seen in a way that mattered to her. she wanted us to keep in touch and get to know each other better.
it reminded me how little we actually know about the effect we have on people.
a conversation you barely remember might be one someone else holds onto. a kind word, a little patience, the way you listen, the smile you carry things that feel completely ordinary to you can mean much more to someone else.
the opposite is probably true too. something small we say or do without thinking might stay with someone in a way we never intended. it could make them doubt themselves, lose a little confidence, or simply leave them feeling differently than we meant to. most of the time, we may never know that either.
and maybe that’s why it’s important to be yourself, to value the little things, and to move through life with a little kindness.
not because you’ll always get to see the impact. most of the time, you probably won’t.
and it isn’t always about the impact we leave behind either. sometimes, it’s simply about being true to yourself and being someone you feel good about being.
but every once in a while, someone might come back and remind you that it mattered.