As with almost any job, no matter how great it is, putting together The Valley Peak gets quite cumbersome for me. It is an incredible experience to be able to communicate with a whole community and to share (force) my thoughts and views upon so many readers. I try to stay away from most controversial topics.
But as always, right when I am thinking I really am not sure if I want to keep doing this, someone will give a compliment about something in the paper.
Nearly everyone loves to read what the hounds have to say, as they are much better writers than me. Plus they have human and animal fans, doubling their readership.
It is amazing the way things can change in a moment. There are many examples of tragedies out there that have changed many lives. Having a doctor tell me, “As I suspected, you have multiple myeloma” as he walks out the door was an intense moment. As was the emergency nurse saying that I have no kidney function and I am getting in an ambulance to Trail.
But having someone say, “I love what you write about,” or “Thanks for the articles about health, they have helped me with my own journey,” can also be huge moments of change. It helps take away so much self-doubt and inspires me to carry on with The Valley Peak.
Each of us can make a huge difference in anyone’s life just by being positive and supportive. Really. Just a simple compliment can change someone’s life in a moment. You can do it. Now do it as often as you can.