A Simple Lesson

Do you believe that everything happens for a reason? I do. I believe that people come in and out of our lives at just the right time. Nothing is by chance. I also believe that lessons are everywhere. It’s up to us to recognize them, learn from them and take them with us through life.

On Mother’s Day 2018, I had a moment. While my Mom and I were sightseeing around Kaua’i, my nephew called to wish my Mom (his Nana) a Happy Mother’s Day. He’s my sister’s second kid, 23 years old and now in the Navy. We’re all super proud of him and naturally we’re happy whenever we hear from him. He was surprised to hear my voice on the other side of the phone when he called my Mom.

As our conversation went on about how life was going for him, the tone turned serious when he said, “Hey Aunty La, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a few years now.” I thought to myself, “What could he possibly be holding in all this time???”. He continues, “So people here tell me that I’m one of the most polite guys they know. I don’t know if you remember the summer I spent with you when I was 6 or 7”. Of course, I remember it like it was yesterday. I treated my sister’s kids like they were my own, long before I became a Mom myself. “Well anyway, I vividly remember you telling me that ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ is something I should never forget”, he said. “I just wanna say Thank you for teaching me that because it is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my life.”

Wow!!! In HIS LIFE????!!!! He went on to say that this life lesson was preceded by something as simple as me giving him some food and him forgetting to say please and thank you. He said I gently reminded him of the proper thing to do when someone does something nice for you. I’m pretty sure I scolded him for forgetting to say it.

I was fighting back the tears as we drove to our hotel. I guess I never thought I could have such an impact on someone’s life. It was an extra special feeling because I love my nephew very much. I learned that even the smallest act that we might do can cause such a huge impact in someone’s life. To this day, I still remind my kids to mind their manners always. I hope one day they will be as grateful as for the simple life lessons that we share with them. Never hesitate to share a lesson with someone if it’s the right thing to do.