The Power of a Thank You

I've been thinking a lot about the fact that I got my dog back and about how it seems as though in today's world fewer and fewer people voluntarily go out of their way to be helpful to others. I was so thankful that the rancher chose to save, rather than shoot my dog, that I made sure that I sent him a thank you card from both me and the dog. (corny I know, but I wanted him to know a little about the critter he rescued, and it comes better in "her" voice).

That got me thinking about thank yous in general. How often do we thank those who make our days work? Do we mostly just expect that they will do what they do without any verbal acknowledgment? Even if someone gets paid for what they do, a thank you is a way that a person can express their appreciation and acknowledgment of a job well done. Common courtesy seems to have gone by the wayside in the 21st century. We seem to go about demanding rather than asking these days. Life in general seems to be more confrontational than conciliatory.

I've noticed even my own behavior is affected by thank yous. I find myself volunteering less and less in areas where gratitude is given infrequently, if at all. Instead, I focus my volunteer efforts in areas where I can tangibly feel the appreciation of others. Knowing this about myself, I am trying to show appreciation for the work of everyone I encounter in my daily life; the grocery store clerk, the mailman, the secretaries and janitors at work, my neighbors, my family. These are folks who often see the ugly side of people and noticing their efforts on my behalf is the least I can do.

One helpful group who often gets overlooked is young people. It's amazing how much energy they can focus into a project for the simple reward of a thank you. I recently wrote a letter of appreciation to a school official in California as an absence excuse for a 15-year-old who worked his butt off for me for two days at a dog event. We ran his legs off, going from here to there, helping in all sorts of areas. He did it all with cheerfulness and patience, never losing the smile on his face or his sense of humor. He sold raffle tickets, and solved technical problems. He hauled stuff around for others and generally made himself useful.

The funny thing is he's not unique. Most teens will work like this if you just ask them politely for their assistance, rather than commanding them rudely. Just the acknowledgment that they have something positive to offer can motivate most teens to move mountains. I know that around my area teen work crews are responsible for the maintenance of many of the trails I enjoy on the weekends. They do some really great work!

When looking for alternative energy sources lets not forget the power of a thank you or the untapped power of teenagers.