Читать книгу Say It Now - Sherry Richert Belul - Страница 8

Foreword By Alexandra Franzen

The first time I met Sherry, she was wearing one of her signature knit hats, purple fingerless gloves, and a beaming smile. With her small frame and sparkling eyes, she looked like a woodland fairy—possibly hiding a pair of wings under that coat.

We were at a writing center in the Bay Area of California. Miniature muffins, mixed nuts, coffee, and tea were being laid out on a long table. Fellow writers milled around, snacking and chatting about their current projects. Sherry and I found a quiet corner of the room and I asked about her work.

“I heard you run a business,” I mentioned. “What type of work do you do?”

“I help people celebrate everyday life,” Sherry told me.

She told me about her company—Simply Celebrate—and her mission, which is to remind people to say “I love you” to the ones they cherish most. Not just on special occasions, like birthdays and anniversaries, but every single day.

She told me about some of the products she offers, like Tribute Books filled with heartfelt messages and photos for a special person in your life, and classes on creative gift-making, letter-writing, and more.

She also told me about her past struggles with depression. During the darkest chapter of her life, when it was difficult to get out of bed and function at the most basic level, Sherry discovered that simple things—like taking a few moments to write a letter to a friend—helped her to feel the tiniest little spark of optimism. Through her own experiences, Sherry learned that when you send a little love toward someone else—toward a friend, a parent, a teacher, anyone who’s important to you—they’re usually surprised and delighted and it really makes their day. But it makes your day, too. You feel lighter, brighter, a little more hopeful about the future, all because of the small moment of connection you’ve shared with another human being.

“Pinpricks of light,” Sherry calls it. Every time you text a friend to say, “You’re amazing,” every time you write a list of “reasons why I love you” and mail it to your sister, every time you bring a small gift to a colleague at work, show up for a friend who needs a lift to the hospital, or lend a helping hand, it creates a little spark of light in their day—and in yours, too.

Over the next several years, Sherry and I kept in touch through emails and occasional video and audio messages. One day, Sherry emailed me and told me she was ready to start writing her next book.

“What’s the title?” I asked.

“Say It Now,” she told me.

She went on to explain her vision for the book.

She told me, “At people’s funerals, everyone gathers around and says all these beautiful things about the person who just died—how precious they were, how kind and smart, how creative and generous, how much they were appreciated, and all the reasons why. I always think, why do we wait until someone’s dead to express how much we love them? Why aren’t we saying these words—to their face—while they’re alive? Why not say it now? Imagine how wonderful that would be!”

I was struck by the simplicity and power of this message. It’s so true. We human beings tend to pound on through life in a busy, dizzy blur. We rarely take five seconds to say, “Thank you,” or “You mean so much to me,” or “Let me tell you why you’re amazing!” We rarely look up from our phones long enough to make eye contact and exchange a few kind words with the person standing right there, just two feet away. We wait until it’s too late—sometimes, until someone has passed away—before we realize our mistake.

There are Christians and Muslims and Buddhists. Sherry is, in her own words, a Celebrationist. She is one of those rare people who takes time, every single day of her life, to celebrate the people that she loves—and to celebrate the miracle of being alive. She doesn’t just talk about it—she lives this message. It radiates from every inch of her being. She has inspired me to “say it now” in so many ways—writing postcards to friends, recording video messages for my clients, checking in with friends who are struggling with health issues, and taking a spontaneous trip to Tahiti with my mom instead of putting it off until “next year.” My life has been enriched because of Sherry’s influence.

I’m so glad that Sherry created this precious little book—the one you’re about to read. It’s filled with simple ideas on how to say “I love you” to the most important people in your life—your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, kids, parents, teachers, mentors, and other people who are meaningful to you, like perhaps a yoga teacher or the local librarian.

Whether you decide to express your feelings in the form of a letter, a list, a thoughtful gift, a surprise, a favor, a hug, or all of the above, I know this book will inspire you to stop waiting and say it now. As Sherry reminds us, the greatest gift you can give to another human being is the gift of a few moments of your undivided attention. And the right time for that type of gift is today…and every day…forever and always.