Yesterday there was a recipe for lemon bars in the New York Times. Anyone who knows me fairly well knows how much I love lemon bars. I am always trying to find new recipes to make them just right. They are my first choice in a bakery. It is not easy to get the crust perfect and the filling balanced between sweet and sour. The perfect lemon bar is very elusive and a work of poetic art.

Several people saw this article and messaged me about it yesterday. What struck me was the thought involved. That someone would see this, think of me and act on it by sending me the link. The more technologically-challenged just let me know about the article, leaving me to look it up because they don’t know how to send a link.

This simple act of selflessness often goes unnoticed. Something as little as tagging someone in a Facebook post or messaging about an article shows the bright side of social media. It is making a connection between people in a very intimate way. Even if only for brief moment. This is being the seer, not the seen. This is a more subtle act that goes deeper. It shows how much this person knows you and doesn’t want you to miss out. Social media is notorious for self absorption; showing others how much fun you are having. That public display is suspect to me anyway (“Doth protest too much”).

So next time you see something that makes you think of someone – pay to forward. Don’t assume they’ve seen the article. Pass it on and let someone know you’re thinking of them. For real.