These little words, just a few dropped unsuspectingly, can have a tremendous effect. It is famously hard to tell when some words will have an important effect. Many teachers have had the experience of explaining something for the umpteenth time and suddenly, for some unknown reason, THIS time, the student raises his lovely head and says,"Oh, so I hold the Control key AND the Shift key down at the same time." The teacher knows darned well he has said to do that, in the very same words, many times before, but this time, the student grasps the meaning, the importance, of those little words.
You could be leaving a message to remember to pick up some milk, or asking for an appointment for a painful nail but you might say something that happens to perk up someone's day or give them a lift you never know about. I think the reason some little exchange can suddenly matter is often related to the exact circumstances the recipient has been living in the past few hours. Maybe the murderer has been looking at the rain and thinking that minute of umbrellas. Maybe the student has been recently been told he has excellent control of his balance and at this moment, the word 'control' stands out for him. You could be on the 5th task of the day and in need of a little pick-me-up so you use a slightly different vocabulary or a slightly warmer tone. You just happen to really mesh with the other person's mood or thoughts.
Whether it is a short note, a book, a gift, a comment on a birthday card or an offhand remark in passing, you might leave a long-lasting effect that you have no idea about.
--
