A terrific nugget from mental health expert John Delony.
My maternal grandmother, who helped my mom raise my brother and me, was an avid reader. Always had her nose in a book. I recall vividly that whenever I would speak to her she'd immediately place her hand on the portion of the page she was reading, look me in the eye and give me her undivided attention. As a younger kid, I would talk about such earth shattering topics as Star Wars, sports, baseball cards, my friends from the neighborhood, etc. She may or may not have been interested in what I was saying, but that didn't matter to me in the least. The fact I was her sole focus in those moments resonated with me more than any words she could have ever conveyed.
I was almost 35 years old when my grandmother passed away in early 2004. At her funeral, each of her four grandchildren were asked to share a memorable anecdote about her. Those moments where she engaged me in conversation were what immediately came to my mind.
My thanks to Dr. Delony for triggering one of my favorite memories from my childhood.
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