To give someone a blessing is the most significant affirmation we can offer. It is more than a word of praise or appreciation; it is more than pointing out someone's talents or good deeds; it is more than putting someone in the light. To give a blessing is to affirm, to say "yes" to a person's Belovedness.
— Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Heart of Henri Nouwen by Rebecca Laird, editor, Michael J. Christensen, editor