We give of our time by listening and helping people learn how to solve problems. By giving of ourselves in focused attention, we are demonstrating that they are valuable to us. Knowing that you are valuable to others and valuable as a person is extremely important. None of us live in a vacuum. We all appreciate being valued.
Mark Twain said,” To get the full value of a joy, you must have somebody to divide it with.” Just knowing that someone else appreciates the little things we do for them makes a world of difference to you and to them.
One of the problems I see so frequently in marriages and in the workplace is that people do not feel valued. People will always do more for recognition than they will for money.
When I was a college student secretary, I had the privilege of working for Doc Reilly. Doc, as we affectionately addressed him, was brilliant. He carried his Phi Beta Kappa key on his rosary every day. His accolades filled a several page vita. Doc’s vocabulary was so extensive that I would be forced to sit with Webster’s unabridged dictionary to transcribe his dictation. To totally understate it, Doc was brilliant and highly accomplished. A man of those extensive credentials could have been ego-centered and arrogant; however, he was very modest. If it is possible to be humble with an ego, then Doc was precisely that. I treasured my time listening to him and working with/for him.
One of the things which set Doc apart from everyone else was the way he valued people.
Since I was a student secretary, I was not allowed to receive any overtime pay. If Doc requested any special assignment which required more than my allotted time, he demonstrated his appreciation in his own unique way. One of Docs private hobbies was growing long stem red roses. I always knew that when I had gone above and beyond that I would come in the next morning and find a long stem red rose on my desk. Neither he nor I ever spoke of it, but we both knew how very much it meant to me. You see, he was forbidden from showing any partiality to a student. I respected him so much that I would never have compromised our professional relationship.
I worked for Doc for two and a half full years. He became a treasured mentor, friend, professor and business associate. I learned so much from him in ever so many ways.
When he learned that my parents were not attending my college graduation, he gave me a graduation party with all of my favorite professors and my friends. He always went above and beyond to demonstrate professionalism, class and appreciation.
Doc knew how to value people. He passed away a few years ago but his legacy lives on in my heart and the hearts of so many that he touched.
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