Sweet Moments

My daughter just recently returned from the trip of a lifetime -- she got to travel to Yellowstone National Park for ten days with her grandparents and her cousin. I've never been to Yellowstone.  My husband's never been to Yellowstone.  Not to mention that at the time of their departure, we'd been stuck in triple digits for over five weeks.  If you don't know about Yellowstone's weather this time of year, the lows are in the 30's, and the highs are barely touching 70.  A welcome relief!

My daughter got to see many beautiful states along the way and many different terrains, from deserts to mountains.  She experienced many different temperatures from summer to winter, and saw animals that she typically doesn't get to see -- elk, deer, bison, eagles, and lizards.  She saw hotsprings, geysers, mudpots and the biggest mountains she's ever seen in her lifetime.

However, the thing she was most excited to tell us about when she arrived home had nothing to do with any of those things.  In fact, the highlight of her trip could have even happened in her own neighborhood.  What impressed her so much was a small conversation.  A few words.  That were actually larger and more impressionable than any of the amazing sights she saw on her trip.

While in Silverton, CO visiting an ice cream shop, she thanked the lady working behind the counter and told her to have a nice day.  A normal, every day occurence for my daughter, nothing out of the ordinary.  However, after my daughter exited the store, the lady ran out of the building to tell her that she had worked in that shop for four years, and that was the nicest comment she had ever gotten from anyone!

It is often easy to lose sight of just how much weight our words can have.  For bad or good, our words can be bigger than mountains, warmer than hot springs, and sweeter than ice cream.  A small good deed or kind word can go more than a long way -- it can shape a person's entire existence.  I can still remember a kind anonymous note that I got at a softball banquet when I was 10 years old (it said "always stay as sweet as you are.") That note impacted me for life -- the same way this lady's interaction impacted my daughter.

Thought of the Day:  Words can heal, uplift, inspire, and spread love.  Words not chosen carefully can break someone down.  Choose carefully.  Always make time to sweeten someones day.  You never know just how much it may impact someone!

Have a great day!