Expressing My Gratitude

Being an appreciative person as I am, I have expressed thousand of thank yous to the people around me. Whether it’s a simple act or a big favor, I make sure that they know how thankful I am. In fact, I learned to say “thank you” in various languages such as “arigato gozaimasu” (Japanese), “merci” (French), “danke” German, and “spasibo” (Russian). But being flexible in foreign language isn’t enough. As I said, I want them to feel my warmest gratitude, so I exert some efforts to return the favor.

Gift-giving. There are loads of items in the market that can be a thank you gift. But sometimes, I make sure that my gift is more symbolic or more valuable by creating a hand-made gift myself. I once did a colorful and artistic framed picture of my friends and a box of messages for them.

Healthy gratitude. Cooking for them has always been delightful. Even when I am not good in this field, with a guidance from my mother (who is expert in cooking) and a good instruction in the cook book, I’ll still manage to prepare them a decent meal.

Lend a helping hand. This is my way of giving back their kindness. I make sure that I give my best shot in helping them, whether it’s a topic they can’t comprehend, repairing a broken item, or during times of trouble. But of course, I do this not only because I am returning the favor, but because I want to be there because they are important to me.

There are other ways that I do to express my appreciation. Some of them are not that special. Gee, some of them come in the simplest manner. But the bottom line here is, I am making them feel that their act of kindness is being appreciated.