Never underestimate the difference you make. This statement was born in 1999 as I spoke to a group from Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois. I had arrived in the area the night before my presentation. I called my sister and brother-in-law, Kathy and Mike Fitzpatrick. Why? On December 24, 1995, their son Brian had been in a car accident and was transferred to Christ Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
I had never previously discussed Christ Hospital with Mike and Kathy. We were caught up in the wake and the funeral, and the subject had never come up. When Mike answered my call that evening in 1999, I shared with him that I was in the area to speak to people at the hospital where their son had died. He held out the phone and said to Kathy, “Quint is speaking to people from Christ Hospital tomorrow.” Kathy said, “Please ask him to say thank you. They were so kind to us.” What a powerful statement! Kathy and Mike had been called to the hospital that early morning of December 24 and told that their son Brian had been killed in a car accident. Of course, the memory of that day was horrific. Yet, they also remembered the kindness shown to them.
The next day, I began my talk by thanking the hospital for the love and kindness they showed Kathy and Mike. Then I did my presentation and returned to Pensacola, where I served as president of Baptist Hospital. Not long afterward, a note arrived in the (snail) mail. It was from a nurse who worked at Christ Hospital. She shared that she was working that morning when Brian came to the emergency room. She was the person who sat with Mike and Kathy. She shared that there is not a Christmas that goes by that she does not think of them.
Due to the situation, Mike and Kathy had not written a note to the hospital. They had not received a survey. It is likely that if I had not spoken at Christ Hospital, the nurse would not have been aware of the difference she had made in their lives. My point is that there are many times that a person makes a difference, and, for all sorts of reasons, will never be aware of it.
During the holidays, the movie It’s a Wonderful Life is often shown. That movie does a beautiful job of showing that people don’t always realize their positive impact. George Bailey considered himself a loser. He never traveled like he wanted to. He never made the money his best friend made. He failed his military physical and could not enter World War II as his brother, Harry, who became a pilot and a hero, had been able to do. He lived in a drafty house and worked in a building and loan. This institution existed to provide loans for people who could not afford the high interest rates offered by banks. Many loans they provided were for first-time homebuyers. Due to circumstances beyond his control, George found himself in a terrible legal position and decided to end his life. Clarence, a guardian angel, entered George’s life. He took George on a trip and showed him what life would be like if he had never been born.
George realized that he had made a positive difference. He was filled with love. No longer did he wish he had lived a different life. His brother, Harry, then made the statement, “Remember, no man [person] is a failure who has friends!”
What do George and the nurse at Christ Hospital have in common? Their stories are different in many ways. Yet in one way, they are the same: Neither person realized the impact they have on the lives of others.
I hear and share hundreds of similar stories with people on the difference they and others make. As we move ahead into 2025, my hope is that each of you will realize the positive impact you have on others’ lives, even if you do not hear so directly. Never underestimate the difference you make.
