Thank You Can Never Be Said Enough

I recently discovered that a woman who was instrumental in both my husband, Ken, and my life passed away earlier this month. It’s one of those things you never want to hear, a gut punch disguised as a Linked In message. We were shocked—blindsided, really. To understand her importance, you have to know something strange: we never, not once, called her by her real name. She was Yoda to us. She walked beside us, sometimes even carrying us, during our greatest challenges and the lesser ones that could benefit from having someone older, wiser, intuitive, insightful and trained in dealing with all the complexities of life that you aren’t prepared for.. Yoda wasn’t just a figure of wisdom; she was a steady undercurrent of wisdom for many years.

The virtual world doesn’t replace human touch or the quiet comfort of someone who listens closely and then drops gold— exactly the guidance you need when you need it. All while endlessly doodling on her yellow legal pad. Within our lives, there’s so much that we are not prepared to navigate. We are given only one storyline. We must find the Yodas that help us turn the pages.

It’s easy to convince ourselves that texting, emailing, and Slack-ing count as connection. We feel we’re doing enough. But then time slips away, and you realize you should have called that person last week, last month, or maybe even last year. The one you meant to say “thank you” to.

The saying, “Live each day like it’s your last” is something we’ve all heard. But part two of that—fill the day with people that matter—is often forgotten. It’s not just about the people you’re expected to love, but the ones who show up when you need them, the ones who make your life richer, deeper, and more meaningful. Those are the people you should never take for granted. And when the chance comes to tell them how much they mean, you have to take it, even if it feels like a small thing.

Thank you to Yoda’s daughter for alerting us to her passing. Thank you, Yoda, for everything. Sometimes the most important thing is simply saying, “Thank you.” In a world that moves too fast, taking the time to say it—and mean it—might just be the best thing we can do.