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Today’s caregiving wisdom comes from the little book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff . . . and It’s All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson. In that book, author Stephen Levine asks the question, “If you had an hour to live and could make only one phone call—who would you call, what would you say, and why are you waiting?” Stephen continues, “Who knows what we are waiting for? Perhaps we want to believe we will live forever, or that “someday” we will get around to telling the people we love, just how much we love them. Whatever the reasons, most of us simply wait too long. ”

As fate would have it, I’m writing this strategy on my grandmother’s birthday.  Later today, my father and I are driving out to visit her grave site.  She died about two years ago.  Before she passed away, it became obvious how important it was to her to let her family know how much she loved us all.  It was a good reminder that there is no good reason to wait. Now is the time to let people know how much you care.

Now is the time to let people know how much you care.

Yes, now is the time to let people know how much you care. Ideally, you can tell someone in person or over the phone.  I wonder how many people have been on the receiving end of a phone call where the caller says, “I just called to tell you, how much I love you.” You may be surprised that almost nothing in the world means so much to a person. How would you like to receive the same message?

“You may find as you get used to it, letting people know how much you love them will become a regular part of your life. It probably won’t shock you to know that, if it does, you’ll probably begin receiving more love as a result.”

If you are too shy to make such a phone call, write a heartfelt letter instead.  Either way, again Stephen says, “You may find as you get used to it, letting people know how much you love them will become a regular part of your life. It probably won’t shock you to know that, if it does, you’ll probably begin receiving more love as a result.”

Author Stephen Levine asks the question, “If you had an hour to live and could make only one phone call—who would you call, what would you say, and why are you waiting?”