Brighten Your Day

This is such a minor thing but it meant so much to me. This happened when I was around 14 and in a really bad spot in my life (teenage hormones mixed with a bad home life, diagnosed depression and anxiety and not having close friends left me quite isolated).

For some context, I live in Sweden and we have woodworking classes as a school curricular, I had spent so much time and put so much effort into a project we were working on. Once it was done we could bring it home with us.

Usually I would feel so incredibly uncomfortable with others seeing what I've put effort into so I would hide it in my backpack but this time our project was too big so I had to carry it by hand. I was so scared someone would see it (anxiety is weird sometimes) so I tried my best to hide it with my body but when I was putting on my jacket I heard another student behind me talking to her friend about how cool my work was, she sounded genuinely impressed and that was the first time I've felt seen in a positive way.

I felt proud in a way I'd never felt before and it boosted my self confidence, I decided to not try to hide my project and I just felt so good about myself. Ever since then I've never had issues showing people my art or things I've created. It of course didn't cure my anxiety or anything but it made me feel good, like I was worth something and it still to this day brings a smile to my face.

I doubt that girl knew how much it meant to me, I don't even think she knew I heard it but her simply telling her friend that something was cool helped me so much during my teenage years.

Never underestimate the power of a simple, kind word.