It’s just nice. And it really feels good to say thanks. It’s still common in many households to say grace and thank the provider and preparer of the meal before you begin to eat. Being thankful should not be awkward or embarrassing. To say thanks does not have to be religious, it can simply be in good taste and very good manners to show appreciation. So, whoever you may be thankful to, be sure to take the time and acknowledge them.

Be thankful for the integrity of others. My grandmother had a way of being thankful to someone that I didn’t truly appreciate until I got much older. She would instinctively know how much time a person—an artist, chef, or any creative person—put into something and for that she would always show them appreciation with a very direct thank-you, looking them in the eye and asking them
questions about what they made. Looking back now, I can relate, I know what she was getting at
and why she was thankful. Her thought was ‘that person cared enough to take the time, which means
they care about what they’re doing. They were not just flinging something around willy-nilly to get it over with.’ It was their creation and giving time and attention is showing you care about it—know that. I am glad that I got this, because I feel like I know when someone really cares about what they are doing, including me.

Don’t wait to be thankful for something when it’s gone. Find what you have now and what it gives
you in your life and be thankful. Mealtime is the perfect time to make it a habit to remember and
appreciate what you have to be thankful for. What you have now is a blessing. Remember we are never too small or too big to show gratitude.

It would probably do us all some good if we all started to be thankful before we walked into
work; before we watched a movie; or watched our kids soccer game. Inside ourselves just take a
breath and say ‘Thank-you’ in our mind. Acknowledge the good, all the good, the experiences, the opportunities, and the people. Take nothing for granted.