I was reminded of a famous quote by Maya Angelou this weekend when I attended the funeral of an incredibly dear family friend: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

I met Mr. Benoff as a small child; my parents were best friends with Sam and his wife, Joyce. As I sat at his funeral listening to all the fabulous stories as well as reflecting on my own fond memories I realized that Mr. Benoff always made me feel loved. He was really fun to be around and he was always smiling and laughing but the feeling he left me with consistently was loved. It is a warm feeling that has not faded one iota over the years.

Have you ever thought about how you make people feel? Go well beyond your inner circle. My memory of how loved I felt by Mr. Benoff is at least 44 years old, so if you don’t think it matters or that people won’t remember – I am evidence to the contrary. Take the day and ask yourself “Do those around me feel loved?” It’s a really important question to ask yourself. 

With Gratitude to Mr. Benoff for the lesson and the love,
Beth