Needing Your Own It's A Wonderful Life

Lately I’ve hit some rough patches. Things haven’t gone the way I’d hoped. Crossroads can be confusing times in your life.

One day my husband surprised me by saying I needed to watch It’s A Wonderful Life because I had made a difference in many lives even if I would never know it. Although I didn’t think it was obvious, at that moment I wasn’t certain of my accomplishments and his words gave me solace.

In the back of my head I believed him. I believed he knew what I meant to the lives around me even if I couldn’t see it myself.

Then small little glimpses started to be revealed.

Although I was in a slump one day, I forced myself to go to the press conference for an art installation to cover it for the local blog I spend so much time on each day. I went through the motions. I might have written down five words and took some pictures. When I came home I forced myself to write the article and a barrage of comments filled the blog post congratulating the artists. I realized by taking the time, I really made a difference for them.

This Sunday as I entered church, a woman quickly told me they were all taking the music director out to a brand new restaurant which was reviewed on the blog. Although I hadn’t written the article, I had reached out to a friend to write the review. She had enjoyed the experience and now a broader community would too.

Later when I was getting a cup of coffee, a friend told me how much reading the local blog means to her and how she tells everyone about it. Her happiness and dedication surprised me.

As I was leaving church, a boy and his mom followed me for a block in the freezing temperature because he recognized me and wanted to say hello to his cub scout leader.

As I stood on the street, a woman came up to me and started to tell me the renovation of her historic home was progressing so we could sit down together for an interview. The only other example of this type of architecture in our City had been demolished and she was excited to share the last of its kind with everyone.

Then someone wrote on my Facebook wall that she had gone to a concert because I wrote about it on the blog and “it was great”.

To finish up the day, a woman sat at my table at a family dinner. She was looking to buy a house and when I mentioned the blog. She looked at me and said, “Are you that Griffiths?” A complete stranger then told me she gets the daily email and knew about my real estate listing.

My husband was right. I don’t have any idea how many lives I touch in my community. None of these things are very big deals, just the little bits of glue which make us all feel connected.

When I’m alone with my laptop making decisions and receiving negative feedback, the experience can be difficult. Now I have my own little Wonderful Life episode to remind me we should never give up hope.

I’m sure I’ll need to read it again but I am grateful, so very grateful.

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