It’s Friday night, and you’re about to go to a movie. There’s just one issue: you need money. No problem, right? Just go to Mom or Dad and ask for ten bucks. As soon as they hand you the money, you race out the door to your movie.
Have you noticed that sometimes, you’ll do something for someone and they will just give you a mumbled “thanks,” or sometimes even less? Or how about when someone does something for you, and you don’t take a moment to acknowledge it? And how about when your parents/teachers do something for you, and you ignore it or take it for granted? I know I’m guilty of doing most of these things. Mom and Dad give me money for a movie? Yeah, they’re supposed to, right? Teacher helps me with a math problem or English assignment or whatever? Yeah, but I don’t need to thank them, do I? It is this lack of thankfulness that I have begun to notice in our generation, and it is starting to get to me.
Sure, there are certain things that our parents are more or less obligated to do for us. Our parents need to provide for us: food, a home, and an overall decent life. But they aren’t obligated to give us money for movies, shopping sprees, or video games. So, when they do give us these luxuries, why shouldn’t we take a minute or two to legitimately thank them for what they are doing? I don’t mean a simple “Thanks Mom! Thanks Dad!” as you go out the front door to the car. I mean, take an extra minute and say “Mom, Dad, I really do appreciate what you’re doing. I know I don’t need to go see this movie, but it is nice that you’re letting me. Thank you.”
This is something that I have been working at. I don’t make every little event some big, emotional ritual. Sometimes, a simple “thank you” does suffice. But every once in awhile, your parents will appreciate a little extra effort in your “thank you.” Just letting them know that you care that they care is something that might not seem like a whole lot to you, but it could mean the world to them. I mean, your parents care for you for the first two decades of your life, and half of that is essentially the most difficult time of your life. Don’t they deserve some recognition for being there when you need them or want something?
It’s even more annoying when someone doesn’t thank someone for something they did when that person ISN’T obligated. Granted, teachers are there to teach us, and that’s something that they should do. But when a teacher goes out of his or her way to accommodate a student who needs extra help, or needs to make up a test, it seems really selfish on the student’s part to not take a moment to thank that person. For me, this idea didn’t hit me until the end of last year. I often found myself wishing I would’ve taken a minute just to thank a teacher for something he/she did for me, or just thank them for an awesome year. Your teachers might not show it or say it, but most of them are here because they like it. So when a student takes a minute after class just to say “Hey, thank you for an awesome lesson today,” it might really make the teaching even more worthwhile.
And when someone ignores something that friends does for them, it is just bordering on ridiculous. Your friends aren’t just there when you want something or need them. They are generally there for better or worse. She didn’t have to cover you at the drive-thru because you’re broke. He didn’t have to drive you to the movie. But they did. When you don’t thank your friends for some of the they do, why would they bother doing anything for you?
Thanking others might seem out of place or even awkward at times. It may sometimes seem like more work than it’s worth, or that the person didn’t really do much and doesn’t need to be thanked. But even for the little things, a little acknowledgement can go a long way. It doesn’t have to be anything major, or emotional, or profound. Just a little thanks to someone for doing something that they didn’t have to. After all, November is the month for giving thanks for what you have. I mean, we get five days off of school for gorging ourselves, football, and Black Friday called Thanksgiving Break. Why wouldn’t we spend a little time reflecting on everything we have and appreciating it all? The movie theater will always be there. That shopping spree can wait. Video games can be paused. Take a moment and thank someone that did something for you. They probably deserve it.
