2/52 unexpected

Every once in awhile, I receive a text from a five-digit number. In most cases, it's just SMS spam. The blood center wants my platelets or some business is advertising the latest promotion. But on some rare occasions, it comes from a close friend, who is now 11,000 miles away. It always comes when I least expect it, but often most need it. The effect of that one brief message lasts for weeks-- if not months.

Although the 160-character limit restricts the content, it never detracts from the meaning. This simple, yet unexpected gesture conveys so much more than the words it delivers. It says, "I know we haven't spoken or even written in a long time, but I think of you every day." It says, "Even though half the world now separates us, we are no more distant than when we lived half an hour away from one another."

We are often told that the complexity or the price tag of a gift is an indication of the love behind it. And yet it is often the simplest yet most thoughtful of acts that warm our hearts the most. Their effect is further magnified when we don't expect it. Maybe it's because I belong to a culture that rarely displays affection, but I can't help but feel that we don't express our love often enough. And as a result, too many forget that they are loved. If you love someone, don't let them forget it.

"One kind word can warm three winter months." - Japanese proverb