Dynamic Senior Citizen Author Walter Green Launches Gratitude Initiative ‘Say It Now’

It’s kind of silly isn’t it? We rarely tell others how much they’ve impacted our lives. Instead, we wait to share that love and gratitude until after they’re gone.

Step in Walter Green, who founded Say It Now, sort of a ‘living tribute’ created to make our world a more grateful place, in a way that’s safe, timely and memorable.

Green, who is the author of the book “This Is The Moment” explains the reason behind the initiative, “A few years back, my dear friend Denny asked me to organize a “celebration of life” after he died. I said no. ‘Wouldn’t you want to be there?,’ I asked him. Denny had so many people in his life who loved and appreciated him. I didn’t like the idea of us all getting together to talk about how important he is to us without him. ‘Of course I would,’ he replied. ‘But I’ll be gone.’ I thought about this for a second. ‘Not if we did it for your next birthday….’ So that’s exactly what we did. I gathered together a group of Denny’s closest friends and family, and we each told him how much he meant to us and why.”

“That’s the day the seed for Say It Now was planted. It was supposed to be a one-time celebration for Denny, but there was an unexpected power in the experience, not just for Denny, but for all of us. Sharing our love and gratitude for Denny and hearing other people do the same was such a meaningful, life-affirming experience,” he adds.

Then COVID-19 hit. Suddenly we were isolated and relying on video conferencing platforms to connect with our loved ones. Green realized that these platforms were the perfect way to get a bunch of people together to share their thoughts and feelings with someone who has had a major impact on their lives—a parent, a teacher, a coach, a mentor, a friend. And so, the initiative Say It Now was born.