I'm often still surprised by how much joy it brings my friends and family when I reach out just to say hello. In turn, I feel residual joy that I was able to give someone a boost. With current crazy events being pushed in all our faces, sometimes a simple "hey, how's it goin'" stretches far beyond the phone.
Since I'm often the one checking in on others, it can sometimes surprise me (though it shouldn't) when someone reaches out to me in the same way. Friends have sent messages and even letters to give me a boost. At the charity thrift store where I volunteer, one of the managers gave me this succulent.
I never see this person outside the charity, but she knew I was struggling with the loss of my cat. She brought me this cute little plant in remembrance of her. This simple gift and the hug that followed gave my mood the warmest boost. It wasn't how much the object cost or even what it was. It had the power to shoot love and kindness straight to my core. The plant sits on my shelf beside my wedding orchid as a reminder of genuine love.
When it comes to encouragement of this sort, I speak from personal experience when I say that introverts may need this more than our extroverted opposites. We keep the struggles in, and only those close to us can tell when something's off.
I pray for my friends and family every morning. Sometimes a specific name comes to mind, someone who may need an extra lift. It takes me almost no time to pull out my phone and shoot a text that I'm thinking of them. Every now and then, the recipient tells me how much they needed that text. I didn't know that, but God did. My part was listening and reaching out in love.
The more I learn about writing, and the more I connect with other authors, I often wonder if the majority of writers aren't introverts. Many of us can enter "social butterfly" mode when necessary, but it has a time limit. Once we go back to our desks and close the door, exhaustion sets in. The worst part about internalizing every conversation and every possible outcome as if we are our book characters is we can spiral downward. A tiny connection with reality, a friend reaching out in love, can often be what grounds us. Not that everyone doesn't need this here and there, but I've witnessed it more among my introverted friends.
It takes seconds to reach out and show someone they matter. For me, it's a constant struggle against the to-do and shoulda-done-sooner lists to slip people in. It has become more of a priority in the past couple years. With long stretches of rejections and silence for submitted creative material, it could mean the world to a downhearted artist/writer/etc. that we cared enough to remind them of their worth.
Keep on smilin'!
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