Just going to toss this out here today. I would like to encourage other people to let the people who make a difference in your life know exactly what they mean to you. ​

Really, you never know how much of a profoundly positive impact that could have on someone. I decided to tell one of my healthcare providers what I thought of him. ​

I was waiting near an area with feedback and nomination forms for staff recognition. So I picked one up, and the first person I thought of was him. He is a genuinely rare type of person that you just don't see anymore. You can tell he just loves his job and never gets burned out—never takes his frustrations out on his patients, even when he's having a bad day. You just don't see that very often. ​

I had some time to wait, so I sat there filling out that form. Decided to write everything I thought about him down on paper. And then I took a picture of it and shared it with him later. I said, "Hey, I filled this out for you, and I thought you might like to see what I wrote."

​I kid you not, he started reading it, and he teared up and started to cry. I asked if I upset him, and he said, "No, this means so much to me," and just gave me the biggest hug.

I had no idea filling out a little paper like that would have so much of a positive impact on him. I just wanted to be nice and get him recognized for the extraordinary work he does. I told him that he really does make an impact in people's lives. Recently, I was having a day where everything was falling apart, and I was overwhelmed to the point of tears.

Sometimes you just get to your breaking point and you can't hold anything in, so you either get really angry or you cry. ​

When I left that day after seeing him, I had the biggest smile on my face. He has a way of reassuring me and letting me know that there are still good people out in this world who care about each other. ​

I pointed out to him that he has a real gift. He deserves all the recognition in the world for it. ​

Well, I kid you not, he hugged me again. He had no idea how much of an impact he was making. It was only until I put it into words on paper that he realized it. And I'm so glad that I was able to point that out to him. He really did find his calling in life—such a skilled, caring provider. I don't know what I'd do without him. ​

But anyway, wrapping up my point here—God, I'm long-winded—if you have somebody in your life who makes a positive impact, let them know how you feel. I think I just gave him a lot more motivation and encouragement than I had originally intended. It was a rare moment where someone offered a hug, and I actually welcomed it, which is huge for me as someone who usually avoids physical contact. ​

I suppose you could say that sometimes a moment like this heals both ways.