On gestures.

Sometimes, I feel taken aback and quite guilty when there's that gal or guy across the room that's somewhat acquainted with me, but I couldn't pluck up the courage to strike up a conversation with. Okay, not sometimes, that happens to me pretty often actually, because of this imp - this weakness of being not-so-easy-to warm up to people in general. What can I do for them,to show that I care? Which brings us to today's topic: gestures.

In any relationship, gestures, or little acts of kindness, friendliness or love, can make a lot of difference. For example, if someone greeted you early in the morning just for the sake of greeting you, you'll most likely smile inside and have a better day that when you first started. Another example would be when a friend goes out of their way to make a home-made present for you on your birthday. No matter what the cost, the warmth and love that went into the making of such presents are simply unforgettable, don't you think? When sincere gestures are done regularly, they all add up,and it contributes and adds to the depth of a relationship.

Personally, I now think that by practicing gestures in our daily life, we can make any relationship just a little sweeter, kind of like how adding a little salt and pepper can enhance the food that we eat. However, unlike salt and pepper which is best only if used in moderation (salt in very small amounts, to be healthier) kind gestures can be used as often as possible. Here I'm going to give a few ideas on how you (and me, too; I just thought of them and most of them are yet to be done habitually by me. We'll learn together...) can practice in our daily relationships.

• Every morning when waking up/being waken up by family members, wish them a very good morning.
• Thank parents and siblings for things done: breakfast, transport, homework help, etc etc (I can add on to this list for miles...!). Don't take family for granted :)
• Do try to ask family members about their day. And DO ask if you know something significant happened that day, even if small (e.g ask your siblings about the presentation that they had to do in class. Speaking of that, my sister has English aural tomorrow...)
• Try (yes, I'm trying) not to talk back or become defensive when one or both parents/elders give advice/criticism to you. Don't take it too personally and either politely accept it, or if there is error in their statement, just state the error, besides they're not perfect too... Either way, most of the time they advice in your best interest. Personally, I have a confession to make: I tend to appreciate my parents' and elders' advice after sitting on it (figuratively) for quite a while and not at the moment they actually told me it...now need to work on shortening that time span...
• Thanks to FB, Twitter and other social media, we now can know about happenings in people's lives easier and in real time (as well as commenting about it). However, you can go the extra mile by asking friends and acquaintances (especially those who are currently not-so-close and the ones where you'd like to get to know them better) about the things that they posted when you see them in real life.
• There's another 2 examples that I mentioned earlier in the 2nd paragraph of this post... :)

These are just a few that I thought of right now. I'm sure you can think of many more gestures that, when done, would bring a smile to someone's face or heart. So. have you brought a little warmth to someone today with a kind gesture? :)