Why we need to normalize saying “thank you” again

Bringing back basic manners in modern times

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” — Cicero

In many respects, I am what you might call old-fashioned; I now embrace this description. I am so old fashion that there’s a drawer in my home dedicated solely to cards including birthdays, Christmas and most especially “thank you” cards. It is always stocked and ready for whenever I need to express my gratitude to someone who has touched my life or the lives of my family members. I will also sometimes buy artistic, creative standalone thank you cards for even more special thank yous for those deserving in my life, accompanied with some of my home made soaps, or if the mood strikes my simple French pear cake, which I understand from my son is “giving.”

To me, saying thank you is not only an art but a growing necessity in a world with depleting human connections. Today, it seems that this practice has become a relic of a bygone era, as technology increasingly mediates our interactions, also adding to yet another reason many simply don’t bother.

The personal human touch is definitely fading; or, am I just getting old?