Thank you. Some of us say it every day, in almost every situation. Thank you for opening the door for me, thank you for stopping, thank you for making my coffee. It’s a common phrase that is so common we may have forgotten what it truly means. All words carry power; good or bad, but in a world where we are constantly interacting with others, the meanings become unimportant. As part of society, we know that being polite requires the use of the phrase “thank you” but do we know why we are saying it?

The phrase “thank you” comes in many different forms, and when you pull them all apart you start to realize why it’s so important. The word “Thank” comes from the word “Think”. When used as a phrase, “thank you” means you will remember someone. Remember them for whatever deed they have done for you. The problem is, we say it so much that we forget to remember them. Think back about the last week, who did you say thank you to and why? Do you remember them as a fellow human, name and all, or are you just picturing bits and pieces of what they looked like? One thing you will notice is “Thank You” is a form of a transaction.

Thank you shouldn’t be a transaction, it needs to mean something again.

We don’t say “Thank You” unless someone does something for us, almost like a form of currency or making a remark like we are indebted to the receiver of the phrase. We surely have heard that other parts of the world say “Much Obliged” meaning they are in debt to you, they are obliged to pay it back in some form. Knowing this shows that saying “Thank You” is more than just a passing phrase, it is a remark to tell someone that what they did means something to you.

This month, in the Good In Deed Community, we are having a call to action. If you missed last month’s deed of the month be sure to catch up. We are asking that everyone write thank-you notes. In this way, we can take the time to actually pay back the debt that we have fallen into someone else with time. Taking the time to write a thank you note means you are setting out to show your appreciation; it becomes more than just a passing phrase. It becomes an acknowledgment, and maybe a way for us to actually remember those who have helped us in some form throughout the day, week or month.