The Importance of "Thank You"

A dear friend and I were walking into a store one afternoon, just chatting away about our busy lives. A couple were leaving the store and the "Mr" held the door open for us. We passed through and continued to chat. It was clear as we crossed over the threshold that we appeared rude when Mr. grunted and mumbled at us. We were rude.... why couldn't we be still long enough to acknowledge that the man had held the door open for us? Why did we take his kindness for granted?  We were so wrapped up in ourselves that we neglected to say "Thank You". No big deal right? Everyone forgets to say "Thank you" sometimes. It was obviously a big deal to the Mr. I can't stress to you, how huge of a deal it became to me.

I was raised to say "Thank You". Somehow thank yous have become lost in the "busy" of our lives. Obviously, I have become one of the number one offenders. How did I get to where I am now? More importantly, how do I correct this? To acknowledge someone for doing something for you is the right thing to do. 

I have started "practicing" with my spouse. I try to tell him "Thank You" several times a day. Thank you for emptying the dishwasher, for vacuuming the living room,or  for helping me with dinner. A little secret is, it works. I notice a change in his attitude and it is beginning to rub off on him. Gratitude can be contagious. I now write "Thank You" notes and mail them. I love the old-fashioned elegance of writing, stamping and mailing a thank-you note. They truly stand out among a stack of bills in the mail box. I now look for excuses to mail a thank you card. Everyday there is someone in our life making it better. We need to say Thank You and mean it.

 I now regret that I didn't catch up with Mr. in the parking lot and tell him "Thank You" at that moment instead of pondering on it for days. I not only wished I would have told him Thank You, but I wished I would have told him how sorry I was.