Appreciation

Hand-in-hand with my observations about immersing oneself in what nurtures the soul, I'd like to address an important corollary: expressing appreciation.

I don't mean communicating my appreciation of the beautiful to my kids; that's important, of course, but I'm thinking about something else here:

I mean that one should, if possible, find the person who created the beauty in the first place, and thank him or her for doing so. It's not only justice; it also encourages that person to do more.

I have been thinking about this hard ever since I attended the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference in January. One thing that struck me is how incredibly appreciative of good feedback from readers were even the most famous of the authors speaking. They used them as examples in their talks of the real kind of payback an author receives. Royalties are fine, was the implication, but letters from readers are food for the soul.

So, this morning, I emailed the composer who wrote the piece that especially moved me at the concert last night. He is still living. His web site was the easiest thing in the world to find. He lives in California, but he must get up early, because only an hour or so after I sent him a note of appreciation for his artistry, I received this:

Many, many thanks to you for taking the time to express your feelings about Songs of The Slave. That is the kind of letter that brightens the day of every composer. Even when things are not going well, we can remember such a letter and realize that what we are doing does really touch the hearts of many people that we do not even know. That is the best reward of all!

So my point for this post is that we should always try to think about the creator of what we appreciate, and see what we can do to express our appreciation. Especially in times like now, creators need encouragement, and what better encouragement is there than the appreciation for the good they have created? I'm reminded of a passage in Atlas Shrugged where Francisco is talking to Rearden about Rearden's creation, and who it is for:

"Did you want to see it used by men...who could never invent your Metal, but who would do their best, work as hard as you did, live by their own effort, and--riding on your rail--give a moment's silent thanks to the man who gave them more than they could give him?"

"Yes," said Rearden eagerly.

All I'm adding here is that the thanks needn't be silent.

Authors, composers, educators, poets, thinkers, journalists, builders, scientists, entrepreneurs, performers, politicians who do the right thing in the face of opposition... who deserves your appreciation today?