Sharing Our Gratitude

When we are grateful, we are happier, more content, and less selfish. One effect of gratitude is that it motivates a person to pay attention to others and their needs. 

Two lessons from my childhood planted seeds that later grew into a habit of gratitude.  

Mom taught us to say thank you and write thank-you notes. Dad taught my siblings and me to consider others. His words, “Don’t wait to be asked,” still echo inside my head. 

When we were kids, one of my brothers had a paper route. He’d rise while it was still dark, put on his carrier bags, and then ride his bike and toss newspapers onto his customers’ porches.

It wasn’t a bad gig in the spring, summer, and fall. But in the winter, the weather was mean. Blowing snow and freezing temperatures numbed his fingertips and froze his eyelashes. Walking took him much longer than riding his bike. 

One winter morning, while a blizzard rattled the windows, he asked if I wanted to help him. “Sure,” I replied sleepily. 

After he asked once, I never waited to be asked again. Helping him during those winter months became a habit. 

I had no ulterior motives. He didn’t tip me or share his earnings. I was just glad to spend time with my brother. It felt good to help him, and his smiling eyes told me he was grateful.  

My parents’ lessons about saying thank you and considering others followed me into adulthood. 

When I recall these childhood lessons, I remember to hold a door open for someone coming in behind me. I don’t think twice about asking someone if I can help them carry their bag of books down the library steps. It comes naturally for me to look up, smile and say, “Good morning” to a stranger.

Why Bother?

Why bother sharing our gratitude? Our feelings of gratitude can cause us to forget about ourselves long enough to look around and lend a helping hand. Like my dad said, “Don’t wait to be asked.”