Small gestures, Big friendships.

“Hey Becky, we got you a gift…its name is Sulley!”
(Boys hand Becky stuffed black gorilla)
Becky smiles big :-)

This past weekend I made my first trip to the snowy state of North Dakota where I helped with an FFA new member conference. I arrived into the Bismarck airport only to find two bright-eyed and eager FFA state officers waiting to pick me up and present me with their hard-earned gorilla that took them THREE tries at the claw machine to win. What a great way to start off the weekend.

Throughout the weekend, much of my time was spent with the seven state officers. Within four days we went from mere acquaintances, all the way to what Andrew qualified as “B.F.F.’s” (for those of us who have been out of middle school for a while that means Best Friends Forever).

There is truly nothing I enjoy more than making new friends. Yes, that sounds cheesy, yet it is the truth. From the very beginning of my journey in North Dakota, those seven students did anything and everything to bring joy to my trip. Whether it was the little gorilla they gave me at the airport, or the B.F.F. tape bracelet that Andrew made me and put around my arm before I left. Every kind gesture they did, even if it was as simple as tape, it made my day!

Today it is so easy to look over the power of small gestures. Why do we need a holiday to celebrate those relationships in our lives? Why don’t we practice the act of being appreciative each day?

A perfect example of someone who values “small gestures” would be my roommate and dear friend (why not, we’ll call her one of my B.F.F.’s) Emily. The other day I was driving back from the airport and was absolutely exhausted. When I got home my eye caught a glimpse of a note on my bedroom door. It was from Emily. She had taken a heart shaped sticky note and written funny jokes on it that would make me smile. That right there gave me the power to change my attitude to become more positive and cheerful.

Whether you leave a note, win a gorilla out of a claw machine, make a tape bracelet, or simply smile at someone on the street—don’t underestimate the power of small gestures.