Say Thank You

"Oh Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness." ~William Shakespeare

Recently I've been annoyed. I've let something really get under my skin. Not too long ago, I was asked to do a favor for someone. It wasn't a small thing. It was a sacrifice and an inconvenience to do it, but I thought it would be a good thing to help out. I performed the service and did a good job. I felt glad that I could help out.

That gladness has gradually changed to irritation. I've seen the person I helped on several occasions now, and not once have I received a thank you. Not even a mention of what I did. Not one word.

Nothing! Nada! Zip!

Now I realize that I shouldn't have to have a thank you to make what I did feel worthwhile. But I wanted one. Just a little one would have been enough. Just a teeny, tiny mention of my good deed would have sufficed.

So Thursday I was driving home from taking the kids to school and I was thinking about how ungrateful this person was. I've heard it said that lack of gratitude is a sign of arrogance, of pride. How proud must they be to think that they shouldn't offer even a token little acknowledgement for what I'd done for them.

Then a thought crossed my mind. How many blessings do I have that I don't express gratitude for? How many times have I disappointed (even annoyed) Heavenly Father by not telling Him how thankful I am for all I have and all He's done for me? Way too many times, I'm sure.


Don't get me wrong. I'm still bugged. But it was humbling to remember that I need to do better at showing my gratitude. Tomorrow is the first day of November, the month we celebrate Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving. Next to Christmas, it's my favorite holiday. I love spending time with loved ones and contemplating the many things I have to be grateful for.

In honor of this month, and because I want to cast the beam out of my own eye, I want to share a few things I'm thankful for. These aren't necessarily in order. They're just a few things I feel profoundly grateful for right now.


I'm thankful for family--immediate and extended. Amazing parents, a hard-working husband, wonderful children, brothers, sisters, in-laws, nieces and nephews and more. I'm incredibly blessed with amazing family.


I'm thankful for comforts--a home, a comfortable bed, and good food and heat.


I'm thankful for all those who've helped me on my book, past and present--family who read the first very-rough draft, those who've encouraged me and suggested a publisher I might want to try, those who are helping me revise and improve it and the designer who created the beautiful cover. This is not mine alone.


My Heavenly Father and my Savior--I'm thankful for their hand in my life, the blessings they've given me, the challenges they've helped me endure and the beautiful plan they've provided to give direction to my life.


What are you grateful for?

Comments

Mindy said…
What a great post! I do the same thing... thinking people should at least say thank you to me, and being irritated by their lack of gratitude towards me. I KNOW I miss so many things to thank my Heavenly Father for!! I will definitely try to do better. Thank you for your thoughts!
I know exactly what you mean! I always hope that I've expressed my thanks ENOUGH to the people that serve me. I even feel guilty if I don't get a thank you note or even a gift mailed out as a follow up. So I hope that when I don't, a sincere thank you from my lips is enough. Saying thank you to our Father has been on my mind so much that I often do try to express my gratitude as a prayer in my heart if not an all out prayer. I have so much to be humble about that's for sure. Thank you Karey for this wonderful reminder!
Lisa said…
tonight i'm thankful for the ability to sing.
Leslie said…
i'm grateful for my son. without him, my life would be pretty empty.
i'm grateful for the knowledge we have of eternal families.
i'm grateful for the gospel and for Jesus Christ.
Anonymous said…
thanks for this posting, Karey. I am grateful for a wonderful family. And as I have entered the "Golden years" of life and I see my siblings either pass away or struggle with poor health, I am grateful for the few small issues I deal with. I am grateful that I can still serve Heavenly Father, enjoy my family and do so many things I enjoy doing. To be grateful for our blessings shows our love to our Heavenly Father who gives us EVERYTHING.
Love, Mom H
John said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
I am thankful for YOU. I admire you and you are a great example to me. Thank you!!
And I'm the other way, I'd rather stay in the background and not have a thank you because I feel funny to be recognized in anything. I'd rather do things and have everyone be quiet about it. :)
Nice post. Great way to start the mnth.
Karey said…
Thanks, Tawnie. That was really nice. I should be more like that myself. It isn't good to get second-guess a service by expecting a thank you. I probably forfeited any blessings I was hoping for for helping out. I should work on that.
Anonymous said…
Karey, I deleted my first post because I was worried it came across the wrong way. So I tried to reword it and I hope it didn't come across the wrong way again.
It's the insecurity that I'd rather not be recognized.
And I need to do better at being grateful. Sometimes I am SO thankful that I just don't know how to thank properly and sometimes wait too long or it ends up getting bypassed all together all because I wanted to try and give a GREAT thank you. Good reminder that just a simple thank you is thanks enough.
People like to do things for others and yes, even though I'm insecure, I do appreciate a small verbal thank you.
Am I rambling yet?
Alison said…
I am thankful for an awesome scouting partner who is also a wonderful friend.
I am thankful for boys who have so many stories to tell that we can barely get through the lesson...before long, they wont care to share their stories...
I am thankful for all of the blessings that I receive that no amount of thanks would ever be able to express my gratitude...but I'll keep trying.
I am thankful for this time of year, when I am reminded of just how much I have and encouraged to give a little more of myself...even if it is to just say "thank you" a little more.
Thanks for the message...