One of the many discoveries I made during my years of Dale Carnegie teaching was that one of the greatest desires of human beings is to feel important, whether at any level of achievement or at any age. Sometimes we tend to overlook that even the young and the very young need positive recognition. 

One of the many examples of this that I enjoy sharing is the case of the young mother of a 4-year-old who took for granted that she knew what all his wants and desires might be, and that she would make all decisions for him. Then one day they were seated in a restaurant and the waitress came over and, looking at BOTH of them, asked, "And what can I do for you folks?" The little boy was astounded that she asked both of them, not just his mother, what they wanted, and when his mother answered that they would have hamburgers, her son spoke and said, "I'll have a hot dog." 

His mother was very surprised at his reaction, but she nodded her approval. The waitress then turned DIRECTLY to the boy and asked, "And what would you like on your hot dog, young man?"  Well, this was truly a heavenly moment for him. Here he was talking directly to an adult who wanted to know what HIS desires were. He didn't want this magical moment to end, so he prolonged it by describing in detail all the ways he wanted his hot dog prepared. Finally, as the waitress walked away, she heard the little boy say to his mother, "Mommy, she thinks I'm REAL!" 

What a great lesson this is for that mother and for all of us. And speaking of lessons learned, here are some that were expressed at a recent National Friendship Week:  I have learned that just one person saying to me, "You've made my day," makes my day;  I've learned that having a little child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most precious feelings in the world;  that being kind is more important than being right; that sometimes what a person needs most is a hand to hold and a heart to understand; that love, not time, heals all wounds; that while many people desire to live on the mountain top, most all our happiness occurs while we are climbing it; that everyone we meet deserves to be greeted with a smile; that I wish that I could have had the opportunity to tell my Emma just one more time how much I loved her before she passed away. 

We all need to learn that we need never be alone. Even when we don't know it, God is always with us,  watching over us. As that beautiful old song says, "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.'

Now for a little humor: A husband and wife, both 65 years of age, were coming up on their 40th wedding anniversary. Knowing his wife loved antiques, the husband bought a beautiful old brass oil lamp for her. When she unwrapped it, a genie appeared.

He thanked them and gave each of them one wish. The wife wished for an all-expenses paid, first-class, around the world cruise with her husband. Shazam! 

Instantly she was presented with tickets for the entire journey, plus expensive side trips, dinners, shopping, etc. The husband wished for pretty much the same thing, except that he wished for his female companion to be 30 years younger than him The genie smiled and....Shazam! Instantly the husband turned 95 years old.

Have a wonderful day!