The Only Thing That Really Lasts

 What Will They Remember About You? (It Won't Be Your Resume)

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

                                      -  Maya Angelou

Isn’t it true, though?

There was a time in my life when I felt some resistance to this quote...because I was such a doer.
Gotta get things done.
Accomplish more.
Not enough hours in the day to do all this important stuff.

But the quote kept showing up in my life.
Over and over.
And by then, I had learned to pay attention to the messages that kept tapping me on the shoulder...because they were always meant for me.

This one finally prompted me to slow down.
Not that I wasn’t kind before…I was.
But when I slipped into that hard-driving "get it done" mode, kindness sometimes took a backseat to productivity.

It took some real reflection — and some hard truth-telling with myself — to realize what mattered most to me.
It wasn’t finishing the to-do list.
It was being the person I wanted to be...the one who made the people around me feel safe, valued, and loved.
Not just when it was convenient.
Always.

Being kind moved to the top of my list.

And kindness found me, too.
Over the years, it showed up in ways I can still feel in my bones.

Here’s just one moment...but it’s stayed with me forever.

After many years of marriage, our divorce left deep cracks in our little family. My kids and I packed up what we could and moved from one small mountain town to another, 87 miles away. We lived in a decrepit mobile home. 

I was working three jobs...chasing a degree...trying to be everything my kids needed...all while carrying around a heart that felt shattered most days.

Deeply spiritual but not much of a churchgoer, one Sunday morning, feeling raw and desperate for something steady to hold onto, I wandered into a small neighborhood church. I sat in the very back row, hoping to stay invisible.

A few rows ahead, I noticed a family…a mother gently rocking a baby, her husband’s arm draped around her shoulders, an older child leaning against his side. A simple scene. But it cracked something open in me.

No matter how hard I fought it, the tears came…heavy and hot…sliding down my cheeks faster than I could wipe them away.

I felt exposed...embarrassed...desperate to leave without causing a scene.

I gathered my purse, ready to slip quietly out the back…but before I could stand, I caught movement from the corner of my eye. The young mother handed her baby to her husband, rose from her seat, and made her way back to me.

Without a word...she slid into the pew beside me... reached out... and took my hand.

Her hand was steady.
Warm.
Sure.

My tears didn’t stop… they came harder, if anything…but something inside me loosened…my heartache softened.

The heavy armor I had wrapped around myself cracked open just enough to let in a little light.

For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel completely alone.
I stayed through the whole service...not because the sermon changed my life...but because one human being saw another human being drowning...and simply showed up.

Afterwards, she gave me a kind smile...a few gentle words...and slipped me her phone number.
I never called her.
But I never forgot her either.

Because it wasn’t her words that saved me.
It was how she made me feel…seen...held...worthy of care...even in my brokenness.

In that moment, a simple act of kindness bridged the gap between two strangers.
It reminded me that even when life feels unbearable...we are never truly alone.

It's incredible how a small, ordinary gesture can leave a lasting mark on someone's life.

That young mother gave me more than just comfort that day...
She gave me hope.
And it’s a reminder to all of us…
Kindness, no matter how small, can change the course of someone’s life.

How to Cultivate a Legacy of Kindness

It’s not about doing huge, heroic things...
It’s about choosing to show up with a full heart, over and over again.

Here are some simple ways to start:

• **Look people in the eye and really see them.
  **The bar feels low these days.
  A warm smile...a "good morning"...a "thank you for being here" to a cashier who looks tired...
  Small, yes.
  But it matters.

• **Send a quick note to someone you appreciate.
  **Not a big fancy card. Just a text. A sticky note on their windshield. A voice message.
  Something that says, "I see what you do. You matter."

• **Let someone go in front of you in line.
  **Especially if they’ve got kids tugging at them or they look like they’re carrying a world of worries.
  A simple gesture that says, "I can wait...you’re important."

• **Notice who is quiet.
  **Some of the strongest people are fighting silent battles.
  Ask the quiet ones how they’re doing...and actually listen.
  No fixing. No advice.
  Just kindness.

• **Offer what you have, not what you wish you had.
  **It might be time.
  It might be a casserole.
  It might be sitting next to someone who just needs a body nearby to feel less alone.

  
  

  None of it is flashy.
  None of it makes headlines.
  But it’s how we build a real legacy of love.

The Benefits of Kindness

You might think kindness is just something we give away...but the truth is...it fills us up, too.

• **Emotional Well-being
  **Kindness softens the edges of our own struggles.
  When you reach out to lift someone else...you lift yourself a little, too.
  It lowers stress...it reminds us that we’re connected...it brings a quiet kind of happiness that money can’t buy.

• **Strengthening Relationships
  **Kindness builds bridges where walls once stood.
  It deepens trust.
  It says to another human being, "You are safe with me."
  And there’s nothing more healing than that.

• **Hope for Humanity
  **We live in a world that sometimes feels harsh, divided, cold.
  But every small act of kindness is a thread stitching humanity back together.
  One smile...one helping hand...one moment of realness at a time.

When I think about it now... that young mother probably doesn’t even know the difference she made thirty years ago.
She was just following the nudge in her heart...and it mattered more than she’ll ever know.

That's the thing about kindness...it doesn't need to be planned...perfect...or even noticed by anyone else.  It just needs to be real.

We don’t always get to see the ripple effects of what we offer... but we can trust they’re there...quietly, powerfully weaving us all closer together.

If there’s one thing I hope you carry with you today, it’s this...

Your kindness matters.
It builds the kind of world we all want to live in.
It builds a legacy that won’t fade.

Long after the noise fades...only love will remain.

Make it the thing you're known for.

Love is ALL there is,

Diana