Letter for Posterity chapter 11, ‘Be thankful always’

It is not only courteous to be grateful for any help received. The push might come from parents, siblings or friends, you still need to acknowledge it with gratefulness. Sometimes you have to be formal by writing to show appreciation or verbally render the acknowledgement, you have to do it. Else, it will beam a negative light on you, which might explain to many as a demonstration of untypical spirit of recklessness.

Often, you might not be aware who offered you the help. But, as soon as it’s brought to your attention, you must be quick to offer in a courteous manner a worthy appreciation. Willingly, man is not good. Therefore, for a man to do good or lend a supporting hand the fellow should have arrested the will. Hence, the show of appreciation is an act of true gratefulness. Those who offer help always deny themselves the benefits therein, which would have come to them.

Courtesy should not be considered as relative. It is an objective universal act that you need to inculcate. Because of the ungrateful attitude of those who have received help, but refused to exhibit gratitude, it has led many benefactors to rescind on their spirit of benevolence.

Those who decide to help you or offer a helping hand are taking your place of need and risk. They assume your place of sweat, take the heat, hit, and hurt for you. These helpers sacrifice their will and comfort to ensure you realize your dream. Be grateful to those who help or hold your hand across the highway, the bridge, to scale over the wall and the floods.

A young man who saw no need to say thank you or could not read between the lines of wisdom by the mother to appreciate people was told this story.

Read no.

A man bought a pair of shoes from one of the most expensive boutiques in town. The man was proud of the shoes and kept it well. He only wore it to premier programmes. Of course he used his hard earn money to buy it.

As the years grew the shoe began losing its appeal and the attention that it drew diminished. Wear and tear had, had a telling effect on the once nice and appealing shoe. Many who cared to comment on the current state of the shoe, reminded the young man how good they looked like years ago. He was advised to try hard and replace it.

One afternoon the young man picked the once nice talk-of-town shoes to have a close up look at it. He admired the leather work and its quality. He then looked at the sole of the shoes and realized it was worn out.

One thing that attracted his attention were deep marks and some pins stuck under the shoes as well. Then, he exclaimed ‘thank you God’. ‘If I had no money to buy these pair of shoes what would have happened to my feet’. The sole of the shoes took all the swipe, cruel marks and damage. ‘It took the place of my feet’ he said. ‘My feet look good and healthy because, the shoes took their place’. He exclaimed, ‘Oh!’ ‘Thanks to heaven course I had money to buy shoes’. There is every need to show appreciation to those who offered you help in time of need. They stood in the gap and bore your hurt, pain, stress, anxiety, injuries and the scars.

You have to appreciate every little help. For it’s not only polite to show appreciation to those who offered to help you in time of need. Remember, if these people relented to offer a helping hand, where would you be. Remember to say thank you to your mother for baring all the stress of your childhood, as well as your father.

What about your Teacher, the Driver, the Cook, the House help; remember some have killed their master’s children. All deserve praise and acknowledgement.

Remember and don’t forget to always say, ‘thank you’ to the helper.