My friend had her birthday and my mum bought her a gift. After few weeks of her celebrating the birthday, my mum asked oh did you give your friend the gift? I said no jokingly, “I decided not to give it to her, it is a nice blouse and I plan adding it to my wardrobe, even though it is a size 14 and I am a 6” (Was). She laughed and chased me a bit, as I ran upstairs.

My mum asked me because my friend did not call her to say thank you. My parents thought us the importance of saying thank you yet, I did not understand the need for people to want others to say thank you to them when they have done something until I began to receive a good doze of it and did it piss me off, yes it surely did.

I also remember whilst I was studying as an undergraduate in the same town I was born and bred. My friend asked me to accompany her to the Staff quarters of our University to see her Uncle before lectures commenced. I asked why me, she said because you know this place well. I responded I know this town but not very well since I have never lived in this staff quarters, I will try but just know that a blind man is leading another blind one.

After trying for about one hour (in our heels), trying to locate my friend’s Uncle’s house, we found two people coming, one of which I know but not friends with and the lady tried to give us the direction but it was so hard to understand where to go. She saw this in our expression and said let me walk with you and show you. She did and we found where we were going.

The following day, as I was descending the stairs from my faculty, I saw her ascending and I stopped her to say thank you for yesterday. As I turned to continue my journey, I heard her saying to her friend that, “I never knew there are still people like this”. Subsequently, we will see each other and greet each other until we became friends. And she always say Feyikemi (My first name that means God has blessed me with this). If I do not learn anything from you, I learnt that from you. To always look back and say thank you and it gives me joy.

I carried out a research at an Engineering firm that designs Aeroplane wings. They were having high employee turnover and I was to find the reasons and give recommendations to end this. I found employees were going to rival Organizations with lower basic salary but better pension and intangible benefits of which Flexible hours and thank you ranked high. I understand better pension, flexible hours but could not wrap my head around thank you. I met with few of them and I found it interesting how much people value an ordinary thank you or you have done a great job.

Now, I remember my friend, my Mum and my former Church in the UK, New Wine. I must confess that everything changed when I received a gift card for my labour of love as a Church worker in my first December in the Church. It did not stop there, I also received a Thank you Card that reads “Dear Mrs Feyikemi Oyewole, Thank you for your Labour of Love” etc. and signed by the senior Pastor (Late Pastor Tayo Adeyemi) honestly it was as if I have received a million pounds. I was touched and felt important and relevant. They gave all the workers, with our name printed on the card?  I was overjoyed. Consciously and unconsciously, I became more devoted because I know that my work, however little is valued.

The perfect reflection on gratitude is a story in the Bible. Luke 17: 11-19. If you read the passage, you will see that Jesus as humble as He is, placed so much importance on gratitude. He asked in verse seventeen, ten were cleansed, where are the remaining nine?

What are the Benefits of Saying thank you and Why is it so Important?

• It shows you acknowledge the act, and you boost the person’s esteem, if not, the message you are passing maybe that they are, or their act, is less deserving,

• It shows you are grateful and will put you in the position to receive more,

• Your simple thank you can make someone’s day or simply change a life as it did, my friend,

• When you say thank you for the little you have received, it gives you a lot,

• Saying thank you is simply showing gratitude and it helps you expand and grow because out there, it shows who you are,

• Your thank you can strengthen social relationships with others, and

• It strengthens your physical health, as it goes hand in hand with happiness and contentment with your own life.

Thank you are two short words, so easy to forget but so big to leave an impact that last a lifetime.

Above all, always remember to say thank you to God who daily loads you with benefits, who provides clothing, shelter and food for you, who protects you from all calamities, and the one who comforts you in your darkest times.

Always show gratitude and see where life takes you.

Love always

Hannah.