When I was in college, online dating was getting popular and tinder had recently come out. I met one guy through the app and we texted/called/emailed for a couple of weeks. I never met him in person and for all I know it could have been a 45 year old woman I was chatting with. However, he wrote a letter to my future spouse about me and how I was kind and selfless, it was a full page letter and I still read it from time to time when I’m feeling down about myself or trying to climb out of a depressive episode. It’s one of the most genuine letters I’ve ever received and I still cherish it and cry a little when I read it, over a decade later.

I profusely thanked him at the time and tried to get back in touch and thank him years later after our conversations faded out but I never heard back.

Every so often my daughter will turn to me and say “You’re a really good dad,” or similar.

Gets me every time 🥹

I’m currently dealing with 4 herniated discs, 3 or 4 bulging discs and something else going on in my neck. Two days ago I had to see a nurse practitioner about some gut issues. I was at the office to talk about those issues but the nurse had looked over my records to see the spinal problems. She said that I must be dealing with a lot of pain. That was the first time one of my practitioners actually said something about that. It just kind of validated my current situation. It helped.

“God you smell good.”

• said by a lady working behind gas station check out.

Yeah, I muttered “thanks” and left. Still stuck with me, though,

When I was a kid my teacher told my parents “she has something that nobody else at her age has, and that’s genuine empathy”. Now I’m an adult so it’s not an applicable compliment anymore, but I still appreciate that comment, and I’d like to think it was true.

Giggity…