Politeness in Relationships

How often do we say 'Thank you', 'Please' to our family members? Are you counting? I would say rarely. And why do I say that? It's simply because they are our family members and we take them for granted in a way or two. We think that they wouldn't care about little little details like that. Have you ever wonder how a simple 'thank you' can brighten up a person's day? Perhaps your parents, brother or sister. Imagine, you bought this really nice gift for your mother on Mother's Day, but she was too busy doing house chores and literally ignored you after taking the gift. How would you feel then? A simple 'thank you' simply means she appreciates the things you did for her. It's the thought that counts and not the price of the gift. 

Anyway, back to politeness. When we come across someone that we just got to know, we tend to say please and thank you more than usual. For example, when having dinner with your course mates and wanted he/she to pass you something, pepper perhaps? You'd say, "Would you please pass me the pepper?" and you'd also say "Thank you" when your request is granted. But does that happen when it's your family members? 

It's not supricing when we say our level of politeness depends on the relationship stage with the person. 

Aside from that, we also tend to ignore or neglect a lot of things that happens in our life. As for me, I love seeing people smile. I may be greedy because I want everyone around me to be happy. To me, a smile brightens up a person's day as well. Ever come across people who don't smile back when you do? How do you feel? Perhaps the two of you haven't come to the stage whereby you'll say 'hello'. It could be a person you walk pass along the corridor in college. A simple smile shows the politeness in you. Who wants to be classified into the arrogant and unfriendly category? Not me, definately. It's really satisfying when you're able to make people smile. Really satisfying. It doesn't matter how, it could be something really simple like giving a compliment or giving a balloon to a child. 

So, lit a smile on someone's face today! Don't take anyone for granted just because they're your family members. You don't lose anything if you give a compliment, say please and thank you. In fact, you gain something, which is satisfaction. 

By,

Chew Seok Yeng (yen)