Can you remember those early days of COVID when we longed to leave our homes and go to the grocery store or the drug store or for a walk in our neighborhood? We were cautioned daily about where we could go and warned that it was important to wear a mask, sanitize our hands upon entering and exiting buildings including our own homes. In the stores we moved down the aisles in an orderly fashion, keeping our distance from the person ahead of us. Rarely did we see anyone stocking shelves and only met workers at the checkout counter behind plexiglass not seeing any smiles or hearing greetings of welcome.
I recall the urge to offer words of encouragement and thanks to those folks who faithfully served my needs during those long months of isolation from the mainstream of society. It seems to me that ‘many of us were kinder and more caring’ and took time to recognize people when we passed them on the street those days. It meant a lot to have someone say hello (even though they were masked) and we found other ways of acknowledging people with a nod of our head or a deliberate attempt to have eye contact. We learned and lived the importance of encouraging folks to “carry on” as best as they could given the situation we were living in during those 3 years of COVID.
A recent incident has called me to be mindful of using words of encouragement when I meet people during my day. A young woman whom I have recently met called me over to her table and said these words “I am proud of you!” I was taken back at her words, thanked her and asked her why she would say this. “Because you are old, and you are volunteering here” was her response.
In the end, it is not what was said but rather realizing that someone has taken a risk perhaps to recognize another person and make a comment that could be the highlight of the person’s day.
I invite you on this National Day of Encouragement to take notice of the folks who cross your path today and offer words of encouragement and kindness. Words can harm and words can heal – it is our choice!
-Sister Ann MacDonald, CSJ
Header Image: Unsplash/Katrina Wright