Thank you!

Saying "Thank you" is hard for some. When I keep the door open at the Post office, I always expect a thanks! Driving the car and letting someone else go in front of me, I expect a wave of appreciation. In the grocery, I expect a "Thank you" from the checkout person.

Do I expect too much from humans? Am I overly fastidious about how I would like people to interact? Probably! It's hard for me not to take this stuff personally. I want to grab them and ask them "Under what rock did you just come from?" It is not for me to know what is going through their minds when they rush, rush, rush from one place to another. Did they just come from the hospital visiting a sick relative?
Did they have an argument with their kid/spouse/boss that made them want to scream? How many times did they take that aging parent to the doctor that week? What's really on their minds when the door goes slam in my face?

My friend, Delvis, just told a story recently about the incivility of someone she encountered on a "Black Friday" shopping excursion. She had her 80 something mother with her and was trying to hold the door opened at a department store for her. She's not too steady on her 80 something feet! A young-large-man blows by the two of them, in a large rush to get to the sales. Delvis, who just happens to be an accomplished attorney, gave him a piece of her mind. He cooly turned to her and said "You, too"! So much for offering advice to anyone boorish enough to not even defer to someone in their 80's! However, if you believe in the law of attraction, or Karma, the dude will have his day!

It takes so little to give a smile to someone who looks like they're having a bad day. It's not too much to offer gratitude for a job well done. A nice note or even sending flowers makes someone feel like they actually matter! A nod to the nice person who lets me in the line on the parkway acknowledges that we are all on this crazy planet together and why not be nice to each other!!!

We take each other for granted too often. Even at home, I forget to tell Bruce "Thank you" when he empties the dishwasher. He may not hear me, but I know I said it!