Nowadays, there are so many courtesies and phrases that are being used meaninglessly. We say “please”, “sorry” or “I love you” without thinking twice about it. Sometimes, we mean it when we say them but many at times, we don’t. We tend to use them even when we don’t need to. It is a universal habit. 

Yet, more often than not, we only say “thank you” when there is an actual need to be grateful. It is not a phrase we throw around, needlessly.

On the day my father died, my mother rang my phone while I was at a board meeting. I could sense something was wrong so when I was finally able to excuse myself from the meeting, I gave her a call. She didn’t know how to deliver the news to me but I pushed her to say them. I needed her to say it for me to believe it. 

When she eventually did, my response was “Thank you for your marriage. You and daddy were great parents to me and my siblings.” 

I said those words to her because I recognized that, although I had just lost my father, she had just lost her best friend and partner - someone she had known and been with for over three decades. I acknowledged her. 

That is what “thank you” does.  It recognizes our humanity and acknowledges us. 

When you say “thank you”, you appreciate and uplift others but more importantly, you feel grateful. Appreciation and gratitude are a recipe for a healthy life. When these two sentiments are missing, it is easy for us to neglect, undervalue and resent the people and blessings around us. 

Being grateful and saying “thank you” does more for us than the person to whom we say “thank you” or the blessing we are grateful for. It reminds us that we are mere humans so we need God - and each other. It helps us make decisions and take action from a place of humility and gratitude. 

In times like this, when our worlds are being shaken, it is easy for us to fix our minds on the negatives around and within us. Our weaknesses - and those of our loved ones - are more glaring than usual, right now. It is so easy to resent people around us or beat ourselves up for not being good enough. A little gratitude can go a long way to change that. 

Tell God, “thank you”

Tell yourself, “thank you”

Tell your loved ones, “thank you”

Let’s be better at acknowledging ourselves and others. 

Let’s live life from a place of gratitude. 

I’ll start, “thank you.”

Now go tell someone, “thank you”

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