In a short time my best friend of twelve years will turn eighteen, and it has come to me, that our generation in general never really says thank you enough but in return we never really expect it either. We for some reason have come to the agreement with the other people in our generation that we won't thank each other and that we won't expect a thank you in return. But i have come to the conclusion, that maybe saying thank you might be one step further to helping this generation overcome their insecureness. How I see our generation is maybe an unpopular opinion, but with all the social media, parents and teachers having all those really high expectations, makes us doubt our selves even more. Because since when is it normal for a fifteen year old to know what they want to do for the rest of their life, I know one always has other options, but for gods sake, when your fifteen and you have to choose what you want to do the next three or four years, were all stumped...
So I think that a thank you even for the little things might help, because a thank you for some thing you have gotten used to being obvious does feel good.
To explain the reference further up about my bestfriend; I had a little breakdown two or three weeks ago because of something that happened in the family, and the only thing I did was tell him in a quick text what had happened, and if he could take the time and call me quickly.
he did no such thing.
He came to my house in the morning and stayed with me for the whole day. After asking him how the hell he had gotten time that quickly he humbly told me that he had canceled off everything he had planed that day last minute and came to pick me up. He said that me being happy and having a friend by my side was more important than anything he had on that day or any other day. And now from a more neutral sight all of those problems that seemed so huge that day, are minor and it probably wasn't worth calling him up. But at that moment, when I thought every thing was coming crashing down it was the right idea, and I don't regret calling him for something I now think of as petty. Because at the time we all didn't think of it as being petty. More so when I turned to him during that day, looked him in the eyes and said thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here and listening to me blubbering away, wiping my tears away and ordering pizza with me. He looked at me shocked, like he'd never had anyone ever come up to him and say that, and he stuttered. He didn't know what to say, because apparently I was one of the first people to do that. Say a simple thank you, because it did me good too, It did good to say thank you to the one person who tried to make my day brighter when I had made his a little duller.
He later explained, that every thing he had done, had gone without saying. Because in his opinion that is what friends are for and he wasn't expecting a thank you from me. And I tell you it's not like if the rolls were switched that I'd not do anything he had done, no I would do the exact same thing in a heart beat! And funily enough, I wouldn't expect a thank you either.
But that is what has got me thinking, why did we stop saying thank you, for the big and the small things? Even if we don't expect a thank you back, why don't we say it? And truly? I haven't found an answer. But from now on I will try and always say thank you for all of the things, that I maybe wouldn't have a month or two ago.
xx