Good Manners Always Count

               Please.                                            Thank you.                                              Excuse me.

Simple, short phrases that we all learn at a young age and are encouraged to use excessively. MANNERS. We all know we are supposed to use them, like not making gross noises at the table and that your hat comes off at the door. Mom always encouraged us to "be on our best behavior," which included, you guessed it, using our manners.

Just because we get older, should our manners disappear? Obviously, the answer is no. Really, for many of us, our manners have not disappeared at all. Instead of simply using those short phrases, we learn to tip properly at a restaurant and young gentlemen learn to hold open the door for young ladies.You could almost say that our manners have improved.

Except for one thing, that is. Two words that we often forget to say that can mean SO much. What might those two words be?

THANK YOU.

I know we still say it all the time, but here's the catch- do you say it to those people that mean the most to you? Do you thank those that give of their time- go out of their way- in order to make you a better person?

I will be the first to admit it. I have not thanked nearly enough people in my life. The people that mean the most to me and have the greatest impact in my life have likely been the ones that have not received nearly as much gratitude from me as they should have. But that doesn't mean that it is too late to start.

If you don't know me by now, I am a big fan of thank you notes. I took the chance to write a few notes this week, just to let some families from high school know how much they have made a difference in me. What a great feeling for me to get to thank those that have influenced me. I got a chance to say thank you.

For me, there is one more person I need to remind myself to thank: our Heavenly Father. I love one hymn that reminds me of this. The first verse goes along the lines of

"To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life our redemption to win,
And opened the life-gate that all may go in."

This just reminds me how much He has done for us, and that I need to remember to say thank you. Even being surrounded by nature on the farm is such a great opportunity. It is one more reason why I want to use my manners to thank the Lord!

As we start the new school year, it is a great time to pause for a moment and say thank you. No matter who it is, those simple two words can show gratitude and pass on a good feeling. A text, thank you note, phone call, email, or chat can all do the same thing. Good manners always count!

Who is it that you want to say thank you to? 

Why wait? Say thank you right now!

Just a few thoughts from a farmer's daughter.

Erin