The Supreme Importance of "Thank You"

I don't consider myself to be a very observant person, but I have observed something about the importance of saying "thank you" in relationships.

I started observing this as a teenager. I noticed that my parents say "thank you" to each other ALL the time! Dad says "thank you" for dinner. Mom says "thank you" when Dad takes care of the yard. They don't just say thank you for the unusual, extraordinary things--they express gratitude for the other person simply doing what's expected of them! Just the ordinary, everyday responsibilities! And they don't just thank each other, they thank us, too. And you know what? When someone tells me thank you for fulfilling my normal responsibilities, it makes me want to keep doing them. It makes me want to do them better, and it makes me happier while I'm doing them. Another funny thing is, my parents "help" each other notice things they should thank each other for. "Did you notice that I waxed the floor?" Dad asks Mom, who immediately thanks him not only for waxing the floor but also for helping her notice! It's kind of ridiculous in one sense, but in another I think it shows something simple and beautiful about their relationship--they trust that the other person would want to express gratitude, and instead of being upset that he/she didn't notice, they help each other out by saying something.

So in high school I started noticing how cool/unusual it was that my parents say "thank you" all the time...and then I started seeing relationships where that wasn't the case. I saw other marriages, friendships, relationships, and families that hardly ever say thank you...even when it would normally be expected. And I noticed a huge difference. There was more tension, dissatisfaction, and conflict. Of course, I realize that there could be a zillion other factors, but I think that frequency of saying "thank you" (sincerely) is a huge indicator of success in relationships. It is something that I plan on doing. Often.

Thanks for reading. :)