The phone was ringing. I dive out of my room to the office down the hall where I work. It’s an old sangha friend. Just wanted to let you know I am well and doing fine. Great! I reply. I realize I’m quick enough to call you when I need help, so I thought I’d call with the good news for a change. Nice!

It was her daughter who had put her on to the concept. As a shop assistant her daughter commented how it was rare for somebody to come in and thank her or express their appreciation for some service the shop had been good at providing. She’d said how rewarding it was to have customers express their satisfaction. Satisfied customers who speak up are rare, the ones with problems all too common.

As it would happen by complete coincidence I’d had the woman’s name on a sheet of paper by my phone. I’d been intending to call her, to see how she was doing! Weeks ago when we’d talked, as a passing shot, I’d mentioned the helpful effect simply looking up can have on the spirits. Looking up at the tree tops, the sky line, roof tops, clouds anything which requires looking up to.

Our conversation continued. Seems she pulled herself through the last black-hole weeks through dint of determination, ‘being with it’ as she put it and, looking up as I’d suggested. Having a dog to walk twice a day also helped.

Yes it is good to get the good news and expressions of appreciation too. This must be true for everybody. I certainly make a point of expressing appreciation when the opportunity arises, especially to nurses while I’m hospital visiting.

I inherited an appreciation of nurses and what they do from my father. If you want medical advice, he’d say. Ask a nurse. Interestingly, and by chance, it was a nurse who first attended him as he was dying on a railway platform. He would have appreciated that.

The woman who called this evening was a nurse. Needless to say my dad thought she was the bees knees.