Really Touched With Gratitude –Missed My Regular Rounds For 4 Days, Only to Find People so Happy To See Me and Telling Me How Much I Was Missed-Felt So Beautiful & Genuine, People Like This Are So Very Precious ~ Even Life Enhancing/Sustaining To Me. via /r/gratitude

The week before last, I was not feeling good at all, dealing with allergies and really low energy.

I have a place I visit pretty much daily, pop in, talk to the employees, participate in some things going on, offer some items if given to me with extras available, just really connect.

Due to not feeling well, I did not stop in for 4+ days and then really just forced myself to walk there so as to get some exercise and conditioning in.

I dont have any family-no one caring, no one I see from month to month, year to year or even on special occasions ( only 3 siblings left from a family of origin of which I have been the lifelong scapegoated :* :{ ) my friends all moved to farther away places, hence my regular connecting here. I love having people to connect with, converse with, love having people to care for and give to ( in earlier days my family of origin always came to me when they needed help or support…really wish I had a family of origin capable of caring/loving/showing up, being a mutual reciprocating, safe and genuine family, plus I would have been a great Mom…love nurturing others, and often have had much heart wrenching unbearable neglect and apathy from family of origin.

(that's the little backstory of why this is so precious and meaningful…like life sustaining, to me).

I could not believe it when I visited that next day.

Everyone there spoke as if and appeared so smiling and happy to see me.

Each person told me they were so happy to see me and that they each had missed me, was good to see me. One lady said it about 4 times.

This was so precious to me. Daily they tell me it is good to see me, but this was different and really let me know that they meant it that they had missed me and were so happy to see me.

I cant help but think of the contrast of how these people treat me verses my own family I dont know, nor get to see as I have tired of carrying all, making suggestions of spending weekly time or holiday time or any time to bond or build love, closeness, memories, support, care on deaf ears to people who dont value these things and make it impossible to happen.

This is why seeing these smiles and hearing their genuine words and tones- it is truly precious and appreciated. It really does help heal, help sustain, strengthen, uplift ( something I try always-daily to do for others)…this is what creates wellness and enhances life, sustainability, resiliency.

I cannot extend any words to express just how very VERY MEANINGFUL, IMPORTANT, CHERISHED, APPRECIATED this is by me.

I always embrace others warmly, go out of my way to see them, value them, to speak to people like they are valued and I care (but rare that others go out of their way to extend the same values, conscientious mindfulness and care of others for how they may be doing in that moment in time that we just dont know).

This is something that is of grater value than the things people in our society value.

Money cannot compare to the value this type of warmth and care extends.

What is more… this is sincere and consistent-not based on mood or the events of the day. It is solid and reliable. This is meaningful to me beyond what I can say. It is life enhancing-life sustaining.

It touches me deeply, truly. I am not sure how I could manage without this warmth and kindness, when they are all I have to look forward to for connection and they are a rare gem- a safe, consistent anchor, something I can rely on to be real and solid. …. Super rare to find today.

I full heartedly appreciate them so very much.

I have immeasurable gratitude. I am truly deeply grateful, even indebted -that is the degree of my gratitude to them. I cant say it enough. from the depth of my being-I am grateful for their daily kindness…for seeing me, appreciating me, valuing me and missing me, in my absence when I am not there~ for being all the things I dont know from my no where to be seen "family" and all the things I value and extend-they reciprocate back to me consistently for the first time ever in a safe and ever present manner.

SO GRATEFUL ~~~ they are consistently safe, respectful, warm, caring, kind