A Special Person

In Creating Happiness by Barbara Jacoby

We attended a memorial service for Kirk’s cousin last Saturday. Arnold was someone who was really special. Despite countless surgeries and physical problems and pain, he had the warmest and brightest spirit imaginable.At the services, many people got up to make comments regarding the person that each of them wanted to remember in their individual ways. He was uniquely special to each of them. However, there was one recurring theme – Arnold gave of himself to everyone with no expectation of receiving anything in return.He was remembered fondly as helping people to repair their homes after the earthquake, doing drywall for them and never willing to accept a dime for his work. He loved his family and was so proud of them. He helped his neighbors and friends from his church and always did everything possible to share himself with all of them in so many different ways. And every time that I would see him, he always had a smile on his face, a big hug for me and a new joke to share.

As I listened to what everyone had to say, I became acutely aware that Arnold helped to create happiness in my life and obviously from what I was hearing, the lives of so many other people. I was sorry that I never realized that sooner. Had I done so, I would most certainly have told him how special he was. My greatest joy was the fact that I did finally realize how he and so many other people that I know bring much happiness to me. What a wonderful legacy he left for all of us.

I have decided that I need to focus my thoughts on each of the other very special people that I have in my life and find ways to recognize each of them for the happiness that they bring to me. And I thought that perhaps in my sharing this story with you, you may want to do the same thing with regard to the special people that you know. It is another way to create happiness in your own life.

I feel so very fortunate to reflect upon my “special people” and to realize how many of them that I have in my life. I also know that I do not wish to find myself in the same position that I was in yesterday, realizing that I had never taken the time to tell Arnold how special he was. And I want for each of you to know how wonderful it makes us feel when we tell others how much we appreciate them and what a wonderful difference they make in our lives. For each time you tell someone else how happy you are to have them in your life, you are making them happy to know that they make a difference. And hopefully those special people will go on to tell others in their lives how they make them happy.

 


Wow, I just realized that if we all passed on our appreciation for the special people in our lives and then they passed it on to their special people and so on and so on, it sure could make a fabulous difference for all of us. And just think how much happiness we would be creating for not only ourselves but also for so many other people.So Arnold, I just want you to know that your life has had meaning for me and for others in ways that I am sure that you never could have imagined and we all thank you for making all of our lives so much better for your having been here. We won’t forget you.If you have any questions or comments about this column, please contact me at letlifehappen@gmail.com