Be Nice!

I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was 2 years ago, though - and I was in a meeting doing the #1 thing on my Hate to Do List. Geoff had decided that this was the day we all needed to share our feelings for each other with each other. Joy.

I hated this exercise. I quickly scanned the room for an exit. The pastors had blocked the door. I was trapped. I glanced to my left and my right, relieved to find I was between 2 people I actually liked. This wasn't going to be so bad.

We went around the room, everyone complimenting the person on their left, then switched it up and went the other way, everyone complimenting the person on their right. And here's the cool part: I didn't have to make anything up ... I was actually able to come up with stuff for the people on either side of me. The even cooler part? To this day, I remember, almost word for word, what each of these people said to me.

Now I'm not big on accepting compliments. But one of Geoff's conditions, because Geoff always has conditions with these fun little games of his, was that we had to look at the person while they talked to us, and we had to just take it with a smile and a thank you.

My point? This was over 2 years ago, and the nice things these 2 people said to me have stuck with me. I think they were genuine. I know I was. A little niceness goes a long way.

We did an exercise like this when I was in college. Everyone had a sheet of paper taped to their back and you would write something nice on it, but they couldn't see who wrote what. I don't remember anything that was on that list, but I'm sure I've got it tucked away in my hope chest somewhere.

This week a funny thing has been happening to me. Apparently someone has taken me on as their 40 Days of Community project. While I'm baffled as to why anyone would do this, it's really cool. Here's what's happened in Lori World this week:

1. Monday - I got a great card telling me the group was praying for me and my family this week. It was signed "Operation Fitzgerald."
2. Tuesday - Another card plus a chocolate cake. YUMMY. Two benefits from this: My children were VERY excited and right now my brother, The Professor, is extremely jealous. I can just feel it. And it feels good.
3. Today - A mailed mystery letter constructed of words and letters cut from magazines. I joked yesterday to the front desk that I was being stalked; this was an interesting followup to that thought!
4. Later today - Apparently there's a card in my box at work. I've worked at the church for almost 8 years and can count on 1 hand the number of times I've gotten a card in my box, so I'm thinking this is the handiwork of the OF group.

Typically I don't like people that much; but I'm really starting to like whoever is doing this! I can't stand to be drawn out for attention, but this behind-the-scenes-love is really quite nice. It makes me feel like pulling a Sally Field and screaming "You like me! You really like me!" (If you're too young to understand that reference, I would just like to say that I have only seen it in reruns ... I, too, am too young to have experienced it firsthand).

I've always thought that I really didn't need other people and if they liked me, great, but if not, that was fine too. I think I trained myself that way, just to make life easier. But apparently I really do care if people like me, and I appreciate being appreciated. And I can't help but think of how many other people need to hear these words from someone. I know I'm going to be more intentional about expressing myself to the folks around me. Tomorrow, I start the hugging spree...Watch out!