Special moments

I’ve noticed that days pass by and I get engrossed in what I’m doing and occasionally I get overwhelmed and realise that I’ve taken on the role of ‘martyr’. These aren’t productive moments and fortunately they don’t last long. But inevitably they’re dispelled much more quickly when something special happens; when someone expresses gratitude for a job well done, or offers help. Often these special moments are totally unexpected and come right out of the blue.

One such moment occurred last week when I received an email from someone who’d ordered a copy of my e-book from my website. We’ve corresponded since and I’ve discovered that her name is Vesta Clarke and that she comes from Maungawhau which, she tells me, is the Maori name for Mount Eden. Vesta trained as a nurse so that resonated immediately with what my daughter, Julie, is currently studying.

But the special moment came when I read what she wrote about my book, and this is what she said.

‘I have recently borrowed your book from the library, and read most of it, and I think it is a great book. I really like your writing style and the way you have set it out, each page and chapter, and the spaces between statements.  And, of course, the content … You do not pull any punches and at the same time there is a lot of heart and total honesty included.  I also like that you included personal life experiences of yourself, not others. Felt to me like you were right there in every page. I believe your book needs to be circulated in schools and be available everywhere’.

Well, Vesta, you gave me a special moment, one that actually made me gasp with surprise, pleasure and humility. Let’s all take a moment today to give someone else a ‘special moment’.