Paying Close Attention

     As I noted in my previous blog, I was in LA on Friday/Saturday before meeting Ben at the airport Saturday evening.  During that time, I was staying with a cousin of mine who I hadn't seen in many years.  In fact, it was the first time that I had the chance to meet her husband and her young daughter.  Her husband and I spent a fair amount of time talking about his business and as I listened, it occurred to me that he would get great value from a particular book that I had once read.  Tonight, I had that book sent to him as a gift.

     One of the things I've noticed is that if you pay close attention to what people say, you begin to notice lots of opportunities to do nice things for them.  These opportunities, of course, don't know always have to involve gifts.  Often, it's simply a question of remembering things like their birthday, or an upcoming important event for them, or perhaps an area of particular interest.  Sending them a note or an article or calling them on a special day shows that you care enough about them to notice and remember what's important to them.  It's one of the simplest, yet most impactful ways of showing kindness.