It’s been a while since I’ve written anything really original here. And it’s gonna be a while still. But I got this e-mail from my Cousin, which I thought was great. Enjoy.
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Heading home from a marvelous visit with a friend last weekend, I suddenly noticed that my gas tank was nearing empty. I hopped off 275 and stopped at the Marathon on Winton Road. After fueling my truck, I noticed a woman leaving the station’s convenience store with a T-shirt that read, “Today’s not your day.”
Ugh. Yeah, I realize it was just a silly piece of clothing, but I have to admit that I actually cringed when I saw it. Something told me that those four words indicated her attitude toward life.
Sigh.
Then I started to think: Our world would be a much better place if people didn’t lug around those negative notions, but instead replaced them with four uplifting words: “You made my day!”
It was just a brief observation on another sultry Sunday in Cincinnati, but for some reason, it really resonated with me through the week.
You might recall that on Monday, I sent out one of my little missives in which I wrote about how excited I was to grill some Italian sausages for dinner to conclude a beautiful summer afternoon. That e-mail prompted a friend to share with me why sunny days are particularly special to her.
Years ago, she wrote, a friend of hers was diagnosed with breast cancer. While running one morning, she looked up at the bright blue sky and received a message assuring her that her friend was going to be fine. And today, she is!
It was a powerful note I found to be incredibly moving.
“You made my day!” I immediately wrote to her.
The next morning, I was standing in the breakfast line at the Kenwood McDonald’s waiting to order a cup of coffee and a couple Egg McMuffins (I had a coupon courtesy of my first-place Reds.). The woman beside me motioned toward two guys at a nearby table.
“Look at them,” she said. “They’re sitting there together and they’re both talking on their cellphones!”
“Maybe they’re talking to each other!” I quipped.
She laughed heartily. “You made my day!” she exclaimed.
When I got home that afternoon, I received in the mail the text of a poignant and powerful speech that my buddy and bridge partner Walt presented this month at the Holy Spirit Chapel in Norwood about how his faith has affected his life. In his talk, he quoted the British statesman Edmund Burke, saying, “All that is necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing.”
When I glanced at the myriad sheets of paper — single-spaced! — this lazy man admittedly grimaced. But once I got on my couch and began perusing the sage words, I couldn’t stop. I was amazed at the profundity of Walt’s thoughts, and even more honored that he cared enough to send them to me.
I got on my laptop. “You made my day!” I dispatched.
And then on Wednesday, as I got home from the office, I opened my mailbox. Behind the junk mail for car insurance and advertisements from area businesses was a small purple envelope with familiar handwriting. I eagerly opened my surprise and found a cute greeting card with a heart-warming — and amusing — message.
The sender deserved a personal call. “You made my day!” I said, grinning from ear to ear.
None of these incidents will change the world. But each made me think — and each made me smile.
Four little words. “Today’s not your day” or “You made my day.”
The difference is profound. Which do you choose?
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