Make a Difference

Each week the WhatFriendsDo.com staff participates – one or all of us – in numerous meetings. Some of these meetings only involve two of us, some involve medical professionals while other meetings involve community organizations.

Next week WhatFriendsDo.com is one of the sponsors for a fund-raising event that will benefit an incredible organization in Indianapolis called Second Helpings. As we’ve prepared for our part of the event, we’ve had several meetings.

Earlier this week five-year-old Claire asked her mommy if she could go to one of the WhatFriendsDo.com meetings. So last night Claire helped us prepare for next week’s fund-raiser. Much to our delight, she contributed several really good ideas! Much to her delight, we let her know how good her ideas were and she was able to see that her ideas are being implemented. She made a difference! I also believe that allowing her to participate and affirming her ideas also made a difference for Claire.

I can look back over the years and note some big things people did for me that made a difference. But I can look back and remember many, many, many little things so many people did that made a difference either to my life or to someone else’s. I expect if there was a game show that required contestants to give a quick answer to question “What did [friend’s name] do that made a difference to you?” the answers would be things like this:

• Told me my sweater was pretty
• Bought a cup of coffee for me
• Mowed my yard when I was out of town
• Sent a get well card to my mother
• Shoveled my sidewalk when it snowed
• Invited me to dinner
• Left a nice message on my answering machine while I was at oncology clinic
• Baked an angel food cake for my family
• Invited my son to her house to play
• Gave my husband two tickets to a football game

These are all simple things. Most cost no money and involve very little time or effort. But each one makes a difference.

Today is Make a Difference Day. Do what you can to celebrate it! Invite someone to a meeting, offer a compliment, do a random act of kindness or offer your help in some way.

Today’s Quote: Never underestimate what a simple gesture can do. It is the little things that you do that make a big difference in other people's lives. --Catherine Pulsifer