The response after “bless you.”

The phrase your parents may or may not have molded into you.

The feeling after receiving a gift.

The beginning of “you’re welcome.”

The unwanted reciprocation.

The end of a note.

Or a reason for writing one.

“Thank you.”

One of the most important things to think about, and better yet to say, is “thank you.” Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most underutilized phrases of this time. The two small words mean so much more than how they sound coming out of someone’s mouth. It is the highest compliment to give to one another. Yet time and time again we don’t appreciate the words that show the most appreciation.

Saying “thank you” should come naturally. So why is it such a big struggle to say the words? I mean how could a first-world country like us show so little appreciation? Freedom is at the tip of our fingers yet we act as if we have many restrictions. Yes, we are surrounded by a never ending cycle of unfortunate happenings but we are not short of blessings. It’s about time we take a look around us and stop taking for granted the things we are so blessed with. In comedic terms, we should really be starting every day with the infamous “blessing” as Aunt Bethany would so gracefully deliver to her family in the big hit classic, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. We should be starting our day with a “thank you.” And yes, we do say “the blessing,” aka the Pledge, every morning before class begins, but it doesn’t give our blessings enough gratitude, seeing as though it’s just part of a routine that many students ignore. And it certainly doesn’t assert enough thanks to the overflowing freedom we have here.

Give thanks to education. The fact that we attend Noblesville High School is a tremendous privilege that we slide by every day. Attending school in general has turned into a task that has to be completed in order to move on with your life. It’s not a privilege anymore, it’s not an opportunity. It’s a burden that you cannot surpass. It’s a heavy weight that you must carry for a fixed number of years. It’s flat out not appreciated and something is so troubling about that. When did we begin to discontinue the gratitude towards having an education? How about we start saying thank you the education that children all over the world can’t afford to receive.

And people. People sprout from every corner of our planet, seeking truth and acknowledgment in society. Each person does a certain amount of things in their life that you would expect to hear a “thank you” included in. One of those people is you. You are the one seeking appreciation. You are the one pouring your life into something only to receive nothing in return. I don’t think we can ever fully comprehend how appreciated and noticed people feel when we give thanks to them. People feel something that no other words can produce. And we may never see how a thank you will affect someone, but if you are seeking a reaction you are doing something wrong. Saying a small thank you to someone will soften their hearts no matter what you see on the outside. Imagine earth as a place full of people who notice the goodness of others and show them appreciation for it. We would make the days of so many and produce a lot more smiles. We would overall have a greater appreciation for everything, and everyone we encounter. And we would maybe, just maybe, stop taking things for granted and start ongoing habits of thanksgiving.

The word thank you stems from the Latin word tongēre. In a loose translation, tongēre means, “I will remember what you have done for me.” So that’s what I’ll do. Thank you.