Forwarded email from the deceased
One of the chapters in my upcoming book “Someday Is Today” addresses the idea that we must preserve and promote the positivity offered to us by the people in our life.
We need as much food for the soul as we can get.
The good news is that we’re offered words of kindness all the time. Compliments. Expressions of gratitude. Messages of encouragement.
Unfortunately, the human brain – for purposes of self preservation – is designed to remember the negative far more often than the positive. We require at least 6 positive statements in order to counteract one negative statement.
That’s a terrible ratio that we must do everything to counteract if we hope to reach our goals and make our dreams come true.
One of my strategies to maximize the positive feedback we receive is to “snooze” the kind and encouraging words sent to me via email so that the email arrives into my inbox a second time when I least expect it. I simply click the snooze feature in my email, close my eyes, and scroll to a random date in the future.
My email app used to have a “Someday” button which I loved but was removed a couple years ago. I suspect that I was the only one who had found a use for this feature.
But by snoozing kind and inspiring words into the future, we receive those words a second time, and it’s joyous to receive words of kindness from the past. Reminders of how I was once appreciated by a friend, parent of a student, former student, client, and even Elysha and my kids.
Yesterday an email from five years ago arrived in my inbox. Words of kindness written by a friend, but a friend who passed away a year ago.
That hasn’t happened before.
At first, I was confused to see her name in my inbox. Then, when I realized what it was, I was saddened by the reminder of her loss. But then I read the email, and for a few moments, her kind words had returned to me, and I was able to spend a little time with a friend who I can see no more.
I think she would’ve liked to know that even though she is gone, her words are still brightening my day.
It was admittedly bittersweet, but a lot more sweet than bitter.
Emails from the past, arriving in the present:
A good strategy to maximize the positivity in our lives made even better when they are sent from someone no longer with us.
