A Conversation with His Mother
“Always have a willing hand to help someone, you might be the only one that does.” – Roy T. Bennett
While attending an IT conference in Latin America, I requested an Uber to take me from the hotel to the location where the learning sessions would take place.
About half-way to the drop-off place, the young male Uber driver received a personal call, and the conversation held in Spanish went something like this …
Driver: “Hola, Mama! It’s good to hear from you! I wanted to let you know that the dessert you made last night after our dinner was unbelievably good.”
[Mom speaks.]
Driver: “Mama, there is nothing you could do to make the apple empanadas any better! Please don’t change a thing! They were terrific!”
[Mom speaks.]
Driver: “Mama, I love you! Again, thank you so much for the delicious dessert, and I hope you can make it again soon. Kisses, Mama!”
Beautiful
While the Uber driver was on the phone, I pretended to be checking text messages, but I was paying close attention to the conversation that took no longer than a minute.
Yet, in just one minute, I observed something so beautiful and genuine.
This adult son, probably in his late 20s, showed so much love and appreciation for his mom’s cooking, but the reality is that his comments probably had little to do with the food itself.
Instead, the beautiful takeaway is that he took the time to show his mother how much she means to him. I’m certain that he remembers and cherishes the tremendous sacrifices she made for him.
Slow Down and Appreciate
Because of the fast-paced world in which I operate, I often forget the importance of slowing down and appreciating the people who are most important to me.
Sure … I might give my wife a quick “Thank you” for preparing dinner, but the Uber driver taught me that I could do a lot more, and it would not take much work.
Instead, it’s important that I lead with kindness, appreciation, and most of all, love.
The fact is that most of what happens in life takes place in everyday things, such as fixing dinner, giving someone a ride, helping with homework, or picking up a coffee for a friend.
The point here is that there are boundless opportunities to share with others how much they mean to us.
It’s easy to appreciate someone when they do something big and important for us, but it seems like the small stuff often goes unnoticed. Yet, this is where we live most of the time.
I’m Learning
Over the past few years, I have become more aware of these nice gestures, and I’m starting to incorporate them in my life.
For example, as I deplane and make my way to the jetway, I’ve made it a habit to say the following to the flight attendants, “Thank you for your service.”
Surprisingly, this comment resonates with them, and they appreciate it. More importantly, I mean it.
Sure, I have a long way to go, and I am looking forward to applying what I have learned from the kind Uber driver … and it starts with showing even more love and appreciation to my family.
Inspiring Quotes
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”— Aesop
“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” – Dalai Lama XIV
Homework Inquiry
During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: How will you show kindness and love to others?
I use this opportunity to share with you a unique story and a couple inspiring quotes. Oh ... as a professor at heart, you guessed it, I have a homework inquiry for you. This is a powerful question that might just trigger you to take action on something that really matters in your life. If you feel the Catalyst Newsletter brings benefit to you.