By the Rev. Dr. David Cleaver Bartholomew
Growing up, I remember my parents teaching us the poem “Five Little Words.”
There are five little words, I would have you to know;
They are "Pardon me," "Thank you," and "Please."
Oh, use them quite often wherever you go,
There are few words more useful as these.
These five little words have a power
That fortune or fame cannot give.
So commit them to memory this very hour
And please use them as long as you live. Thank you!
Perhaps you have a childhood memory of your parent(s) teaching you the importance of saying thank you for a gift received or a kindness shown? Or perhaps as an adult you’ve witnessed another adult teaching a child to say thank you when that child received a gift, a favor, or a gracious act from someone else? What are your memories and experiences with regard to teaching the importance of saying thank you on the one hand and of being thanked on the other?
The powerful, positive effect of saying thank you is widely known; therefore, it isn’t surprising that it is also widely encouraged and taught.
If saying thank you is so important and has such an impact, why is it so difficult and why is it not done more frequently?
