Upon recently finishing a simply beautiful book called "Dear Sam," something in the acknowledgements struck me as radical:
"My parents, Jack and Betty Gottlieb, were not special. They were just kind, loving, and devoted parents. How lucky I was to have them. How much I miss them."
It is not often that we hear someone compliment another with words such as "not special." This resonated with me as both strange and wonderful simultaneously. Daniel Gottlieb is onto a sweet and tender truth here.
Kindness is enough. A life that encompasses love is enough. He did not miss his parents because they were special by the world's standards. He did not miss them because they were successful or well-known or rich. He missed them because they made a difference in his life. He missed them because they were devoted to their role as his guardians.
Individuals may be known and remembered for being successful, but they will be missed for being kind and making a difference. We long for the lost people that found us where we were and loved us regardless. Employees will not miss the man that led a highly esteemed business, yet was also arrogant and mistreated those he was entrusted to lead. Employees will miss the man that led them while exercising justice, compassion, and care for their well-being. The man who looked beyond himself, beyond the advancement of his own company, and beyond his own pride. The man who took his employees under his wing and treated them like family rather than a means to an end.
You see, we miss the people that do the best with what they are given. There are individuals in this world that strip us of ourselves, lead us away from purity and kindness and righteousness and love. Then, my dear, there are people that lead us to it. There are people that are not defined by their job description, but surpass it. There are people that will take the very shirt off of their back to clothe another. There are people that show us that our hearts are already full, rather than leave us with shattered pieces to pick up on our own. Our souls yearn for the people that are kind. Maybe those are the least known and the rarest to find, but perhaps that is the point exactly.
The core of an author lies somewhere within the acknowledgements of their book. The place where they express gratitude for the ones that aided their journey, and what they see in those individuals that is worth thanking. It is here that Mr. Gottlieb's message is found. Kindness contributed to the making and publishing of his story. Kindness raised him in the form of his parents. Kindness raised him to success. Success did not raise him to kindness.
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