The art of acknowledgment
In general, I’m fairly reticent. More interested in listening than talking. A natural introvert. A wall of calm. People flit in, give me work to do, and flit out (on the best days), and I’m left to my own devices, which works for me. But when I get stressed out, I get a bit grumbly. Not out loud, usually — I have a bad habit of bottling up until the cranky old bat in me can’t take it anymore and then the snark and vinegar flow like cheap blackberry wine.
Every once in a while, though, I do manage to remember how much more stressful life could be. Sometimes the best peace is actually won by taking a look around and recognizing the efforts of those who support you, inspire you, or just make you laugh. Even better, tell that person what you’re thinking. It can be anything from a simple thank you, to buying them a coffee if they’re having a bad day, to singing their praises to their bosses. It’s easy to forget how much that can mean, and sometimes the effects cascade in unexpected ways.
Today I sent a note to the director of another department to let him know that one of his new developers is actually an outstanding customer service rep for their group. Later, she and few other people in the group actually emailed me to say thank you for making her day — apparently the director really made a big deal about that note. He thanked her for making the department look great, and he copied her other bosses and even his boss. By all accounts, she was thrilled. Which is good! I’m glad she enjoyed the recognition. Meanwhile, I was having twinges of sympathetic embarrassment on her behalf. And then, after I was done with my weird little bout of self-invoked awkwardness, I realized I had a stealth case of warm fuzzies from knowing my quick little email had set off that chain reaction.
We live in a fracturing reality these days, one that seems increasingly isolationist and self-absorbed. We complain much, and do little. It’s too easy to get lost in that, and to dwell on the things that make us bitter and unhappy. Sometimes, we just need to remind ourselves to look up every now and then, and to actually make an effort to acknowledge the other lives that intersect with ours. Very often, we would be poorer without them.
So true. Thanks for sharing that story.
Mmm blackberry wine…
No wait, I promise I paid attention to the rest of it, too. And I agree wholeheartedly. It’s really not that hard to take two minutes to make someone smile. I dunno why we don’t do it more often.