Before I went off to start my second year of college, my mom pointed out an important thing that I was forgetting to do on a daily basis. Once she helped me settle me in to my new apartment, she left a note full of reminders for daily life on one of my to-do lists. The point that stuck out to me the most was one that read, “Always say please and thank you.”

This idea of being grateful for everything that comes our way and acknowledging the kindness of others is something that is ingrained in our minds from such a young age and forcefully integrated into our lives through the encouragement of parents, teachers, and elders. It is initially taught as a good habit, but the older we get, more weight is added to these words and we realize that the importance of these words goes beyond a good habit. In my personal circle, I’ve noticed that I’ve seen fewer and fewer people genuinely thanking people for the things that others do for them. It seems as though many people in my age group are losing their value of manners and, in turn, losing an attitude of gratitude.

It is so easy to live our lives and think that we are deserving of all of the simple things that come our way. It is easy to believe that the woman who works at the dining hall SHOULD be serving you food or that the person leaving the building before you SHOULD open the door for you or even that you SHOULD be allowed the opportunity to wake up each morning and attend college classes. Without an attitude of gratitude, it is so easy to become wrapped up in a mindset of entitlement. This was a place that I had found myself in when I read this note which pointed out my lack of thankfulness. The reality is, every little good thing that comes our way is not something that we are entitled to but rather something that we are blessed with. We are not entitled to anything that comes are way. Every very act of kindness that someone takes toward us should be something that we show full acknowledgement of and appreciation for.

Aside from the changing our mindset to one in which we are grateful, forgetting these two simple words in our vocabulary can completely change the way we interact with people. To be someone who has the ability to show a sense of appreciation for everything in their life no matter how small, is to be a living example of Christ. As this life is not our own, everything that we are blessed with in our lives is a possession of our almighty Father’s. And everything we give is something we owe to the One who gave it all for our freedom from sin and shame. To simply thank people for things they do for us through our words and to truly mean it is to show one’s understanding of the sacrifices that have been made for us through Christ in order to provide us with so many blessings. This is the beginning of showing others that what they are doing is something that is appreciated. I don’t know about you, but I know for certain that I am more likely to make an effort to do something for someone who I know will genuinely appreciate my efforts.

So, the next time someone does something for you, remember to be grateful and let them know what it means to you. Thank your roommate for cleaning your dish for you when you didn't ask them to. Thank your parents for their never-ending support from however many miles away from you they may be. And thank the God who sacrificed His Son in order to give us so many things to be thankful for. Be the friend that is politely asking for help when they need it and the one who is genuinely thanking others for the help they've given. And PLEASE take into consideration the re-integration of these very important 2 words in your everyday life.

Thank you for reading.