Moments Matter

I have a huge extended family on my mother’s side but I didn’t get to see them much. The moments that I have had with each of them touched me in ways that took the good parts of me and made them better, more loving, and more understanding.

I wrote a letter to my uncle several years ago because I wanted to try to express the importance of one moment he shared with me long ago. Saturday he passed away. I am grateful that I had the chance to tell him just how important this one moment we shared was in my life.

I try to remember that moments matter. You never know what small gesture you can do for someone that will give them the strength to continue.

Dear Uncle Stephen,

I have been writing this letter in my head for over a year now. Each time I start, the words just don’t seem to be there to explain how very important you have been to me. Then I found out that you are not in good health. This information makes me struggle even more with what and how I want to say this to you because I want to make sure that you know this is from  I want to make sure that you know this is from my heart and always has been and not something that has come to be because of your health. 

Some time ago, maybe 17 years ago? I was sitting on the couch at Grandma and Grandpa’s. You came and sat next to me. You put your arms around me and just held me. It and just held me. It was the first time I can remember being embraced by someone who wanted nothing from me. You were just you that night but I didn’t know that I could be worthy of such love in a physical and emotional way. I believe that we experience God through the connections we make and that day I saw God in you. 

I had bad things happen to before that moment and bad things happen after that moment but somehow that moment gave me a promise of what life could be like. It was times in my life when I was in my lowest that I pulled up the memory of that one night and used it to get me through. It gave me hope and showed me that I could be loved.

The connections and impact we make in life live long after us. That moment in time will continue to live on in the daughter that I raised, the friends that I have helped, and the inner city school children that I will soon be teaching because I know how important it is to just sit next to someone and  love them. I know what a difference that can make. One of my most important life lessons I learned from you. Thank you for the difference you made in my life.

Love Always,

Kim