The Little Things People Remember

Dear Friend,

I was thinking the other day about how funny it is the things we remember from when we were little. Not the big things. Not always the birthdays or the holidays or the things we thought were going to be important. Sometimes it's just a little moment that sticks with you because it made you notice something.

I remember one of those moments from when I was a little girl.

My Mama and I were in Columbus, Georgia, at the Peachtree Mall.

Now, if you grew up in a small town, you know exactly what I mean when I say going somewhere like Columbus felt like going to New York City when you were a kid. 😂

It was a big deal.

My parents were both born and raised there, and we still had a lot of family in the area, so we made that trip plenty of times over the years. But every time little Webb girl me went to Columbus, it felt like we were going somewhere fancy.

I mean... it was a mall.

A big mall.

There were stores everywhere.

People everywhere.

And there I was, walking around with Mama, smiling at everybody we passed. Because that's just what I did. I was a friendly little thing. I smiled at people. I waved at people. I talked to people.

Honestly, I probably told half of Webb's business to anybody who would listen. 😂

But something happened that day that stuck with me.

I would smile at people as we walked by... And they wouldn't smile back. Not one bit. They would look right at me. We'd make eye contact... And then they would just keep walking.

Now, I know this sounds silly because I was just a little girl, but I remember thinking about it.

I remember telling Mama something along the lines of, "I don't really like big city people. They don't smile." 😂

Bless little Miss Sas; I had already decided I understood the whole world based on a trip to the mall.

But the funny thing is... As I've gotten older and more comfortable with myself, I still think about that little girl sometimes. Because I think she was onto something, even if she didn't have the words for it yet.

A smile costs absolutely nothing.

A wave doesn't take any effort.

Holding a door open for someone doesn't either. And I don't mean just when they're one step behind you. I mean when you see somebody walking toward the door, you hold it open because that's just what you do.

Around here, we say yes ma'am and no ma'am, yes sir and no sir. And it doesn't matter if somebody is older than you or younger than you. It's not about age. It's about respect. It's about looking at another person and saying, "You matter."

Through the years, I've made it a point to not keep kind thoughts to myself... If I notice someone has beautiful hair, I tell them. If I love their outfit, I tell them. If their shoes are cute, I tell them.

Whatever it is that catches my attention, I try not to let the moment pass without saying something. Because you just never know what somebody is carrying around with them that day. That little compliment might be the only kind word they hear. That little bit of encouragement might come at exactly the moment they needed it.

Maybe it makes them smile.

Maybe it reminds them they are seen.

Maybe it gives them just a little bit of light on a day that feels heavy.

I've taught my kids the same thing. Notice people. Be kind. Say the nice thing when you think it.

Because keeping a kind thought to yourself doesn't help anybody.

Maybe that's one of the things I love most about growing up in the Wiregrass.

We wave. We smile. We hold doors open. We speak to people... Sometimes we know them... Sometimes we know their mama... Sometimes we don't know them at all.

But we still acknowledge each other.

I don't think little Miss Sas understood how special that was back then. I just knew that something felt different when I came home. And now, all these years later, I think I understand why.

Home isn't just a place.

It's the way people make you feel.

It's a wave from somebody driving the other way.

It's a stranger smiling back at you.

It's someone holding the door open even though they don't have to.

It's calling somebody ma'am or sir because kindness is never wasted.

So maybe little Miss Sas was a little dramatic about those big city folks. 😂 Maybe some of them were just having a bad day.

Maybe some of them were lost in their own thoughts. Maybe they just didn't realize that little girl walking by was waiting for a smile back.

But I still hope we never lose the habit of making people feel seen.

Because sometimes the smallest things are the things people remember.