Two little words in English. Merci in French. Gracias in Spanish, grazie in Italian, dankuwel in Flemish, bedankt in German... and perhaps my multilingual spelling is going off the rails, so I'll stop there. Maybe you know a few more.
If we want to live a happy, simple life, showing gratitude is one of the easiest things we can do. Those two little words go a long way to making life happier for us and the people with whom we live. I've lost track of the number of times that saying thank you to a store clerk brightened their demeanor, or when I thanked one of my girls for completing a small chore and she went an extra mile for me. Come to think of it, I'm a lot more likely to do more for someone else when they acknowledge the effort with a simple thank you.
And there are larger thanks to be given, too. When we really think about it, everything we have to enjoy is gift, given to us by hands much gentler than our own. Friendships often start through no real effort of ours, happiness arrives with a wisp of music or the chickadee in my lilac bush, and peace descends when I am able to slow down and listen to my own breathing. Even my ability to breathe is a gift.
No matter our belief system, saying thank you is necessary because it keeps us from taking everything for granted. Appreciation keeps us down-to-earth and helps us to value the enough that we already have. And if we practice Voluntary Simplicity by valuing what we have, we don't need to pursue more. As Lao-Tze said sometime in the 3rd century, to be content with what we have is to be rich. And as Ron Rolheiser said a lot more recently than that, to be grateful is part of the road to being a saint. I've got a few favourite saints, and wouldn't mind being included in their company!
So today, I will say thank you more often, and I will remember to be thankful for my family, friends, neighbours and others I've yet to meet, for my home, for sun and rain, for this cup of coffee, for those chickadees... and I could probably go on all day, except life is calling me on to other things... for which I am thankful...
P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Try here.
Simple Moodlings \'sim-pѳl 'mϋd-ѳl-ings\ n: 1. modest meanderings of the mind about living simply and with less ecological impact; 2. "long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering" (Brenda Ueland) of the written kind; 3. spiritual odds and ends inspired by life, scripture, and the thoughts of others
It's so true! I said thank you to an ETS driver last week, as he let me on and I showed him my tranfer. He made MY day by returning it with a friendly, "You are MOST welcome" We both made a positive impact on each other. I was hearing his words, seeing his smile and his spirit through his bright eyes, all day!
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