This phrase has revolved in my mind many times over the past several years while thinking about different people in my circles. What if I wrote each one of them a short note telling them specific things, qualities I see in them that are praiseworthy, helpful to others, things unique to them that are of benefit to others. Yes, I have told some of them these things, but could it be more meaningful to have it in print so they could refer to it in times of self-doubt and uncertainty that seem to strike us all in times of weakness and pain?

What has prevented me from writing these notes to others? Fear that they would think I was trying to ‘butter them up’ for something, or that I was being ‘dishonest’? Fear of the personal-ness associated with genuine feelings being shown towards another human being that I maybe don’t know all that well? Fear that maybe these were just fleeting thoughts and weren’t really true at all…thinking I’d made the whole thing up?

Perfection is part of the ugliness involved in this equation, I think. Sometimes I have stopped from saying or doing something because it wasn’t true 100% of the time, and I didn’t want to be a phony or mislead anyone…because they probably don’t exhibit this behavior 100% of the time… just like I don’t exhibit good behavior 100% of the time. We are all flawed creatures, yet every one of us has good things about us that sometimes only another person is able to draw out. Every little seed has great potential—if it is watered and tended to.

Could I be a waterer and tender of others…pointing out their growth and good characteristics, encouraging them to continue on developing and doing those admirable things that are unique only to them?

Am I willing to turn over my fears (aka criticisms) that something good might not develop and allow myself to be stuck in the poison of perfectionism?

Can I take the leap of faith to choose only to see and speak the best in others no matter what they are currently doing, because they need someone to believe in them and speak good about and to them, and let that seed sown develop, however slowly (perhaps without me ever seeing it grow) and turn into something lovely in their life?

I will write one praiseworthy note to someone today.