Aunt Julie’s Gift

Thought for the Day: Our immortality is what we pass on that is good and right.

 She was my best buddy, cheering for me in the great times and supporting me unconditionally in the rotten times. In her later years she was blind and had difficulty walking, but she was still the same loving, giving Aunt Julie.  Although I sometimes find it difficult to find the right words when under emotional stress, I knew what I wanted to say at Aunt Julie’s funeral.

As a child and through my entire life, she gave me the most splendid of gifts. She made me feel unique, special, valued. She listened to me attentively.  I always felt that whatever I had to say mattered — no matter how mundane the subject. Early on, I realized that gift wasn’t exclusively mine.  Everyone whose life Aunt Julie touched – even if for a short time, received it.  It was simply who she was. I wonder now if she ever realized the magnitude of that gift.

I get self-absorbed and caught up in every day “stuff”, so I often forget the lesson Aunt Julie taught me. When we treat others in a way that lets them know they matter – it can have a profound positive influence on their lives.  That’s true of all those we come in contact with, in both our personal and professional lives.  Imagine the power of many – giving Aunt Julie’s gift to many.  Let’s start an epidemic.

As always, I love hearing for you. Have you been blessed with an Aunt Julie?
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