The Moment I Realized I Was Missing My Wife’s Entire Day
A painfully ordinary moment that revealed what relational mattering really means
Let me confess something ridiculous.
Last week, I caught myself having a full, passionate conversation with my phone.
I was in the kitchen, scrolling through emails while my wife told me about her day. I nodded at the right times (or so I thought), threw in a few “mm-hmm”s, and even managed an “That’s crazy!” without looking up.
Then she stopped talking.
Silence.
I glanced over. She was staring at me with that look: the one that says, You’re here, but you’re not here.
I put the phone down, felt my face flush, and muttered, “Sorry… what were you saying?”
She smiled (kindly, because she’s a saint) and said, “Nothing important. Just my life.”
Ouch.
In that moment, I realized something both hilarious and sobering: I had just proven, in real time, the central thesis of my own podcast episode. Relationships don’t usually explode. They deflate, slowly, from a thousand tiny moments of half-presence.
And the antidote? Not grand gestures. Not more love (we already have that). Just showing up, fully, awkwardly, humanly, for the people who matter most.
This is the heart of relational mattering, a concept from psychology that sounds academic but hits like a gut punch once you feel it.
Relational mattering is the deep, embodied sense that your presence genuinely matters to someone else. Not because you’re useful, impressive, or perfect, but simply because you are you.
Psychologist Morris Rosenberg introduced it in the 1980s as a core human motive. Gordon Flett, one of the leading researchers today, calls it “the need to be significant.” His work (including the 2018 book The Psychology of Mattering) shows that when we feel we matter to others, we’re more resilient, less lonely, and more willing to be ourselves. When that sense fades—or worse, when we feel we actively don’t matter (what Flett terms “anti-mattering”)—depression, anxiety, and isolation rise sharply.
Recent studies back this up. A 2024 meta-analysis found mattering strongly predicts well-being, especially the kind tied to purpose and belonging. Longitudinal research shows anti-mattering predicts future depressive symptoms better than many traditional risk factors.
In short, feeling insignificant isn’t just sad. It’s dangerous.
And in our distracted age, it’s epidemic.
We sit at dinner tables with people we’d die for, yet our attention is fractured by notifications, mental to-do lists, and the phantom urgency of “just one more thing.” Over time, stories get shorter. Vulnerabilities stay hidden. We adapt by needing less—until one day we realize we’re lonely in a full house.
But here’s the part that gives me hope (and makes me laugh at my own hypocrisy): presence is a skill we can relearn. And it’s simpler than we think.
7 Proven Ways to Build Relational Mattering: How to Make Someone Feel They Truly Matter
These aren’t tricks. They’re choices: small, repeatable, profoundly human.
Practice Intentional Presence - Put everything else away and give someone your full, unhurried attention. No multitasking. This tells them, without words, “You are worth my complete focus right now.”
Acknowledge Their Impact - Name how they affect you. “The way you handled that meeting gave me courage to speak up too.” Specific acknowledgment makes people feel needed and seen.
Listen Without Fixing - Resist the urge to solve. Just reflect feelings: “That sounds exhausting.” Validation is often more powerful than advice.
Remember What Matters to Them - Recall the small details—their favorite coffee order, the story they told last month, the dream they mentioned once. Being remembered is one of the deepest forms of mattering.
Invite Their Perspective First - Ask “What do you think?” before offering yours. This grants influence and says, “Your voice shapes this space.”
Follow Through Consistently - Do what you say you’ll do, even the little things. Reliability proves the relationship—and the person—is worth effort.
Offer Specific Appreciation - Move beyond “You’re great.” Try “I love how your laugh fills the room—it changes the whole energy.” Specificity makes appreciation feel real rather than generic.
These aren’t revolutionary. They’re ancient. But in a world optimized for speed and scale, they feel radical.
A Small Vow for a Big Difference
This holiday season, let’s make a quiet pact.
Pick one person who matters deeply to you.
Pick one practice from above.
Try it tonight.
Look them in the eyes. Say their name. Tell them—OUT LOUD—why they matter to you. Then stay long enough for it to land.
You won’t need perfection. You’ll just need presence because the people who matter most won’t remember how busy we were. They’ll remember whether we were truly there.
If this resonates, listen to Episode 705 of Passion Struck below.
And grab the free Companion Workbook —it’s packed with reflections and gentle challenges to help you start.
We all long to matter.
And we all have the power to make someone else feel it.
Let’s not wait until it’s too late to try.