Our Words

My friend and former staff member Denis gave the eulogy for his little son Mateo this week.  With his wife standing by his side, he was magnificent, gently describing the hardships that came with the 15 months of Mateo's life and also the joy and love and lessons learned.  I was so proud of him!  He is such a grounded, focused, articulate and loving man, a mensch as we like to say in Yiddish. He has come quite a way from the young man I hired several years ago.

Denis' eulogy also contained a nugget that made my day, my week, and maybe the rest of my life.  He said "there was one person that gave me support throughout  this hard time, my boss, Evelyn".  I had told him he was strong enough to handle it all, and I was right, he was.  It is obvious he will come out of this ordeal with renewed faith in God and his own strength. 

Wow!  I was flabbergasted!  Denis didn't mention anyone else except me by name.  I was blown away.

A former co-worker who was there said this to me afterwards: "We never know how our words will affect people".  So very, very true.  A kind word or an expression of love that comes just at the right time can turn our whole world around or at least make the day a heck of a lot better. 

:-)