Sam and I were at a friend's lake house for the 4th of July and I was witness to something extraordinarily sweet and endearing. There was another girl there that was annoying the crap out of me. She talked constantly and would make really loud and obnoxious comments, some purely for shock value. I really wanted to just push her in the lake or throw a beer can at her face, anything to shut her up. Sam had a different reaction entirely. He sat down with her and asked her how she was feeling. He had never met the girl until yesterday and he just asked her one simple question. He got her to open up about what was going wrong with her life and the fact she felt like she was lost. Sam told her about his less than ideal childhood and how instead of letting the past define him, he's working on improving his present and future. He's focusing on the positives and doing his best to not dwell on what he can't change about his past. He's happy and wants to make those around him happy. He's a good husband, hard worker, awarded-student, and will one day make an amazing dad. She said that she enjoys helping the children that she works with. He said, there you go, that's your goal. By improving the life of the kids you work with, you are improving your own. I've always known that one of Sam's best qualities and one of the first things I fell in love with, was his genuine consideration of others. It's remarkable how he can change someone's day by simply being polite and kind. I've seen him change someone's entire posture and demeanor by only asking them how their day was going and listening to their response. If more people did that, think of the impact that would bring! It's not just about stopping to smell the roses, it's also about stopping to listen.
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