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

Being told you’re appreciated is one of the simplest and most uplifting things you can hear.

You probably feel recognized, welcomed, and respected that you matter to the other person when the words “thank you” are exchanged. Maybe a little startled but also delighted.

Personally, when you say “thank you” to someone, it’s a small moment with big ripples: a confirmation of a profound and beautiful truth, that we all depend on each other, that we are all joined —across dinner tables and the world—in a web whose threads are innumerable acts of giving.

“Thank you” are more than just words, they are the core of an enormous feeling that connects each one of us.

For instance, when I eat a meal, I’ll take a moment to imagine the details of how that tomato or rice was grown and then transported onto my plate, including the people who walked the fields to plant and eventually pick it, and the man or woman who drove the truck that carried it to the store where I bought it.

Those folks do not know me, but they’re real people, working hard, hoping for a good life, worrying about the people they love, extending themselves in their jobs, giving me something extra, all this woven into the food that’s entering my blood, my bones: I say a prayer of gratitude and thank them.

You can’t possibly say ”thank you” to everything you’re given. No one can. So, when you do say “thank you”, it’s a token of your appreciation for the larger whole, joining you with that whole. It will make you happy to open to the giving coming your way each day.

And in giving thanks to the people in your life, you open the door to receiving their appreciation in return. In your home or at work, a step towards a culture of gratitude can change the world.

Embrace the circle of thankfulness and discover the love of giving and receiving by saying, thank you.