I’ve seen how the power of a thank you works.
Teaching soap making classes in NYC means an hour ride on the LIRR into Penn Station, and then a 20 minute subway ride uptown. Once I get to Penn, I usually stop to use the ladies room (One of my rules “Never pass up an opportunity to pee” especially being true in NYC). The facilities in Penn aren’t the nicest I’ve seen, but it’s also not the worst.
Last Thursday the cleaning woman was in the bathroom doing her job. Cleaning the stalls, washing out the sinks and sweeping the floor. She looked tired, her eyes looking at the floor. As I left, I thanked her for keeping the room clean for us to use. She smiled, lifted her head up and thanked me for noticing, saying she appreciated my comment. It seemed to me she stood up a little straighter as she went back to work.
I thought about her during my subway ride. The power of a thank you might have made her day, and cost me nothing to say. It was easy for me to do, and yet, I don’t say thank you often enough. So I’ve made a decision to say “Thank you” more. Thank you to the bank teller who deposits my check and to the mail man who delivers my mail. And how about a thanks to the garbage men who pick up my garbage every week. Maybe the cashier at the grocery store too.
Here’s another thought. Why stop there? I should thank the people in my life who I love too. My family and friends. The people who help me every day and see me at my worst, and still love me. Let’s not take anyone for granted.
What do you think? Who can you say thank you to? What are you grateful for?
Yours in Gratitude,
Angela
I am grateful for your gratitude list. Because it makes me think and be grateful also for what I have
Thank you Emy. I’m grateful that you are in my life because I see how you treat everyone you meet with respect. I love how non-judgmental you are and when I find myself starting to criticize someone in my mind, I stop and think of you.
This has been something that I have been actively wanting to work on more: Saying thank you to the people in my life and feeling grateful. Your story is very sweet, and as someone who has worked many “thankless” jobs in the past, when people show gratitude for what you do, it makes your job much less miserable!
Katherine your absolutely right. I’ve also worked thankless jobs, and when someone shows gratitude, it goes a long way. Thanks for sharing.
I’m with you ladies. I too have discovered how HUGE thanking someone for something they’ve done for me is. For them AND for me. Back when I was a wee little one (yes I once was…) my mother and I use to take the bus into Flushing, our nearest “little town.” When it was time for us to get off at our stop, my mother always thanked the bus driver. Since I “knew everything” at that ripe young age, I remember asking her “Why do you thank the bus driver? He’s just doing his job.” Need I tell you her response?! Fast forward 40 years and I can count on one hand the number of employers who’ve made it a point to thank me or tell me what a good job I was doing. (Karma’s a bitch isn’t it?) And you know what? THOSE are the bosses I could never do enough for.
So true Gay! Thanks for sharing.