We had a church night at a local restaurant last night. The youth at our church were doing a fundraiser. I showed up with the kids about five last night and hubby joined us later. He was coming from work and had a little further to drive than we did. But we ordered and food got to our table as he got to our table.
When the hostess seated us she took our drink orders and handed us our menus and was very polite. All the kids said "Thank you" as she handed out menus and said "Please" when she took their drink orders. I was so proud of them. That is something that we have worked on with our kids from the time they started speaking.
It is very important to us that our children learn to be polite. It seems to be a lost art. So many people don't emphasize it in their homes. But don't you feel better when someone says please or thank you? I do. It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling that makes me smile. And a smile is a wonderful thing.
The hostess last night said her mother had read Dear Abby for years. A woman had written in and said that "your welcome" was an inappropriate response to thank you. It should actually be "my pleasure". And of course that got my brain spinning. Your right, it doesn't really stop spinning, sometimes it's just faster or slower.
I think she may be right. I know that "thank you" came from "thanks be to you". But I don't know where "your welcome" came from. I like the thought behind "my pleasure". Like it really was a pleasure to do something for someone else. I like the sentiment behind that.
It's not always easy to be polite if you've never been taught to be polite. It feels uncomfortable. But it gets easier the more you do it. And easier. And then it's part of who you are. And it starts to feel weird when you don't do it. Before you know it, people all around you are being polite. What kind of trend is that to start? It's a fabulous trend to start.
2 Corinthians 9:7 says "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." This is in the parable about the widow who gives her last two mites for the glory of God. But we can take that one step further and give of ourselves. Isn't that our most prized possession? We can put on a happy face and one step in front of the other and let our manners shine.
I challenge you all to say please and thank you and your welcome and my pleasure for one week. See how many strange looks you get, but also see how the people around you might start to change just a little. Maybe you can put a chink in a little armor this week.
It's time to start school now. But, thank you for reading.
2 comments:
Great post, Cristy. My oldest son's first word after "Mama" and "Dada" was "More Mook" (more milk). I decided then and there that even if he was less than two years old, he could say "Please" just as easily. It sounded like "Pees " and "hank oo" but it worked!
Thanks for the great reminder.
I always say "please" and "thank you," and sometimes I even say "my pleasure." It's the way of my people. :)
Great post! It's a shame that those words are rarely heard from some people.
Love you,
Scott
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