Recently, I watched a documentary about Johnny Carson. It was hard to believe that such a successful person received little encouragement from his mother. Arguably his comedic timing was unparalleled. Most every successful comedian today owes their start to Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show. However, this man never heard an encouraging word from his mother.
As the documentary unfolded, the story was told how Johnny's mother once watched his monologue. At the end, she arose from her seat and was heard to say "that want funny" as she left the room. It is beyond me how a parent could be so callous toward a child.
The story grew sadder when it was discovered at new death that Carson's mother had a box containing EVERY newspaper article in which Johnny had been mentioned. It was the complete path of his career. How could she have kept the pride in her son a secret? How could she not verbalize it even once? Apparently starved for the affection of his mother, Johnny kept the box of clippings in his closet until his death.
The Bible says that "the power of life and death are in the tongue." There are plenty of negative things being said. Take time to say something positive. Take time to tell your kids you are proud of them. Take time to tell your spouse they are important in your life. Make a difference. Take time to encourage.
