Two Simple Words

Thank you. Two simple words that we hear, perhaps not as often as they could be used but none the less, we hear them somewhere nearly daily. My 18 month old grandson knows already that when he is given something, he says Thank you. It is a learned manner that we carry through our entire life. It is used in truth and sometimes sadly, just because we were in fact taught that it follows a favor or a nice gesture.

Thank you is used fastidiously and sarcastically, often more meaning not thank you but "really?" It is the internationally known word for actions, both good and bad, showing gratitude for someones doing. Used for the good, bad, or indifferently, it is a word that too often is left unsaid.

I write today, something I have been terribly lax in doing here, because the words Thank you, when spoken unexpectedly and from the heart, have the strength to change a person day and even sometimes, their very lives. kind words are always uplifting but sometimes, the most unexpected words carry with them the greatest power to take a bad or so-so moment or day and transform it into a day worth getting out of bed for.

As a bipolar person, good days and days worth even starting are often defined by a tiny moment. We, those inflicted with this disorder, do not define a new day as the sun rising since most of our weeks and lives, run together as one very long day. We define a new day as an event happening or something that takes us out of our life's norm. Such things can be a good or bad happening. As I said, the very tiniest of things to others is gihugic to us.

Two simple words... Thank you, can be exactly that. My day is a mix of cleaning and washing and writing and surveys. In between those things, I help care for my parents, though they take care of themselves quite well, pay the bills and maintain a house. These are things I have done naturally for longer than I can remember. Care-giving is a blessing that I have come to know as one of the reasons God has saved my life many times from illnesses that I could have easily died from. For that, I am eternally grateful to him. But still, I have done them without thought of anything more than this is what I do.

A few nights ago, after finishing my day, somewhere between 11:00 p.m. and whatever, I was telling my mom and dad goodnight. Something quite ordinary and UN-unique so I turned to walk towards my room. Suddenly, my mother said something to me. I stopped to ask what she had said to me. "Thank you" was her response. My response... "for what?" I truly was confused by her words. I had not done anything other than say goodnight as I always did.

Today, three days later, I sit and write about that night and her answer to my question. Two very simple words, said with love and heart, caused me to sleep that night, better than I have for a while. They changed my long-g-g-g-g-g-g day into a new day, worth waking for. their impact stayed with me and I found myself smiling each time I thought about it. My mothers answer to my question? "For everything you do for us." I stared at her for a moment and then smiled. "You are very welcome. I don't ever mind at all," was my reply to her words.

The words alone are wonderful to hear. The words, spoken from the heart and for no other reason than to let someone know they are appreciated, run deeper into the soul than one can imagine. Day changing, moment changing, a new day and a new smile... a reason to get up and do it all again are what came from those two simple words. Not because they were wanted nor expected but quite the opposite, because they were not the reason why I did whatever it was that brought the words to me. they were unexpected and more powerful than any other words I could have heard that night.

Take a moment today and think about a loved one or a friend. Ask yourself if someone has done something for you, not something new or out of the ordinary, simply something that made your day a tiny bit better. Then ask yourself if you have simply taken it as what they do everyday or what you have come to expect of them. Have you said, out of the blue and for no particular reason, "Thank you?" They are two of the sweetest words we have in our vocabulary, there since we were well, my baby grandson's age. Cute and smile causing then and powerful and heart felt the rest of our lives.

Just take a moment, a tiny second and ask yourself... "Did I say thank you just because I could today?" You may just change someone's very Long-g-g-g-g-g-g day into something wonderful.