Why it's important to remember to say "Thank You"

We begin with a petty story

I was walking Annabelle the other day and a couple of neighbors were walking their dog.

She stopped me and asked if I had any sourdough starter I could spare. Her son has been baking lately.

"Sure," I said.

"How long would it take you to get some together?"

"Minutes," I told her. I asked her to email me to remind me or I was likely to forget.

She asked how to feed the starter and I told her.

I also mentioned I've been writing about bread baking with information about the starter and a bunch of recipes on my Editors Cut blog. This week I even posted two no-knead recipes with a third one coming tomorrow. (Wet no- knead and Dry no-knead

I got home and surprisingly remembered the request. I poured some starter into a container, covered it, put it in a bag on my front porch and emailed my neighbor that her son could come pick up his starter.

He must have come and gone because it was gone in ten minutes.

About an hour later I got an email from the parent asking for instructions on how to feed the sourdough.

No thank you in the note. Just another question.

I know it's petty - but I was really put out by that.

It's for them

In times like these, it's important to say thank you.

You say "thank you" for two completely different reasons and they are both more than just good manners.

The first reason is, in my opinion, the lesser of the two.

Someone has done something for you. They should be told how much you appreciate what they've done.

That's just an acknowledgement. (Ok, that part is also just good manners.)

It's for you.

When you say thank you - a real thank you that you pause and feel before you say - you realize how many people help you through your day.

Thank you reminds you that you aren't doing it all by yourself.

That's why.

We live in a world where too many people think they did it all themself.

Not saying "thank you" leads to miserable people who see others as in their way and sponging off of what they think they did themselves.

"Thank you" is a moment we pause to remember otherwise.

Link to the Podcast episode from May 5, 2023.

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She thanked them - 'cause she was raised right - but it's not like she hadn't thought of it already.

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