Remember when you were little and someone expressed genuine delight about something you'd made or said or done?

One "That's a really beautiful drawing!" could set your artistic soul on fire and spark a flurry of new pictures of squiggly yellow suns and lopsided purple flowers and bobble-headed children with stick arms and huge smiles playing in scribbles of green grass.

One "Wow, that's an incredibly wise insight!" could ignite your inquisitive soul and inspire a thousand questions and observations about life, love, rock formations, the physics of light refraction, or the purpose of rainbows.

One "That was such a kind thing to do!" could light up your sweet soul and kindle a hundred little acts of kindness from helping a sibling pick up their toys to making a card for a sick friend to picking a bouquet of muddy wildflowers for an elderly neighbor.

All humans appreciate being appreciated, our tiniest humans most of all. So take some time to tell your children you like them today and list the reasons why. Then watch in wonder as they blossom before your eyes. Words of recognition and appreciation to a child are like sunshine and rain to a flower. Remember, beautiful things grow when they are nurtured.

But don't stop there. Big humans need recognition and appreciation to grow well, too. So if you see something good in someone, tell them. If you appreciate something about someone, thank them. And if no one has told you recently, let me take some time to tell you... You matter. You don't have to be perfect. You're trying your best and your best is more than enough. You are a beautiful human. I'm happy we're on this ride through the galaxy together. And I appreciate you more than I can ever say.

© L.R.Knost

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