“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”
—Meister Eckhart
I’ve always been a fan of good old-fashioned manners. I was raised on them, and I drilled the same mantras into my kids:
Always say “Please” and “Thank you.” Stand up when an adult walks into the room. Hold the door for another person. No phones at the dinner table. Always introduce yourself, and if you have friends with you, introduce them as well. Look people in the eye when they talk to you. Thank all hosts and hostesses when you go to a party in their home. Bring a gift when you go to someone’s house—a candle, some flowers, maybe this book? And always, always write a handwritten thank-you note.
I’m a huge fan of handwritten thank-you notes. In fact, I’ve never hired anyone to work with me who didn’t write a handwritten thank-you after the initial interview. Manners never go out of style, and a thank-you never gets old.
I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately, the power of “Thank You.” Those two small words put together make a huge impact. I’m reminding myself of that today.
The reality is, there are so many people we can all thank on a daily basis. But too often, our busy lives get in our way, and we forget. I know I often rush through my day forgetting to thank the very people who make my day in every way: The people I’m blessed to work with. The people who help me at home. The other parents in my circle who’ve helped me in so many ways for so many years. My friends who pick up the phone simply to say “Hi!” My brothers and sisters-in-law, cousins, nieces and nephews, and of course my kids. The list goes on and on.
I’ve noticed in my own life that when someone thanks me for something, it touches me. It makes me smile, it makes me happy. I notice it. I notice every time my son’s girlfriend writes me that thank-you note. It always makes a big impression. I notice when my kids’ friends thank me for doing something for them or when my daughter thanks me for taking her to a concert by giving me a box of doughnuts! Or when my other daughter sends me information about supplements I should be taking (but I’m not). Or when my younger son asks me about my day or the older one brings me a coffee even though I didn’t ask for it. Or when my brothers or friends include me when they go out on the town, whether I’m a party of one or have multiple kids in tow. Seemingly small things can make a big difference: a note, a card, a coffee, a phone call, an invite, a thoughtful email—it all adds up. Thank you.
Expressing gratitude, saying thank you, is so powerful. It means that you see the other person, it means that you noticed who they are and what they did. It says to that person, “I want you to know that you matter to me.” It’s big. It’s a sign of manners, but it’s also a sign of care.
So to God, to my family, to my friends: Thank you. Thank you for being there for me. Yesterday, today, and every day.
And a special thank-you to my children for the joy and the love you bring to my life and the opportunity you give me to be your mother.
And P.S.: Don’t forget to write those thank-you notes!
Dear God, I thank you. I am so grateful that you encourage me to celebrate my life with the wonderful people you have put in my life. Thank you for the many times you have blessed my life by answering my prayers. May I never forget your amazing goodness. Amen.