You Matter to Me!

"Tell people how much they matter because you never know what kind of time you have with them." ~Sameer

My friend Lauren Midgely has created a movement at the You Matter to Me website to assist you in reaching out to those who matter to you.  I know that life is precious and we need to take time to tell the people in our lives how much they have impacted us.  Recently, I was reminded we need to do it NOW as two of my favorite aunts passed away in the same week.
 
On Valentine’s day, we tell people that we love them, yet we should be doing this every day.  We need to reach out to the people who have impacted us too.  Many times, people have no idea how their words or actions have helped us, given us hope or comforted our wounded parts.  Make a deeper connection by taking the time to share the lasting effect others have had on you.  I am sharing how the aunties impacted me.
 
Aunt Wendy was a mother to many.  She was a mother to her four children, but also to her grandchildren, nieces, nephews, the students she worked with and all the people she encountered. She rooted for the underdog and found their strengths and nurtured them.  Discussions with Wendy were my favorite because she made me feel like I was the only person in the room (and there were usually 50 or more) and the conversations had depth, meaning and purpose. She had a beautiful soul that saw the goodness in people; she had a healing energy and a generous spirit. Her smile and laugh were infectious and brought joy to my heart. There are not enough words to describe how remarkable she was, but know that she touched my life deeply and I will forever be grateful to Aunt Wendy!
 
Aunt Veronica was the most authentic and assertive woman I know.  She blazed the trail for women in the male-dominated New York City advertising world in the sixties.  She stood up for what she believed and always let you know what she was thinking.  She was a force to be reckoned with and I admired her strength and fortitude.  She was a role model to women for how to succeed; she did it with self-confidence and panache.  Aunt Veronica was the cool aunt who owned a house at the beach and she always opened her home for Christmas Eve and the Fourth of July parties that had 50-70 family members. She was an incredible artist and mentor who impacted my life profoundly.
 
So, learn from my lesson and tell people how much they matter to you.  Life is a gift and each day is precious! 
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How will you reach out to people who have impacted you?
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