This is the time of the year when we pause to give thanks to that Higher Being who ensures that we arise each morning to a new beginning.   We often give thanks for our life and the lives of those who are special to us or those who have made some positive contribution to our existence.

            I, too, find myself giving thanks each day I am able to get up and breathe in the air that has been provided for me.    In addition to thanking those people whom we know, I also think it is important to thank those persons who are not intimately involved in our lives, but who, from time to time, do make our lives more pleasant, less cluttered and generally a bit better.

            I am talking about people like the lady at the Registrar General’s Office who always greets me with a smile and is very eager to serve with such efficiency and professionalism.   I am also talking about the staff at Royal Bank and Finco who are ever so helpful and eager to improve their quality of service for their customers.

            Then of course there are some of the cashiers at the supermarket who greet me with a pleasant smile.   I can of course tell the difference between the ones who say it from the heart and those who say it because the floor manager is watching.  

            The lyrics of a Christian song reminds us to give thanks with a grateful heart.   This sort of reminds me of a parent telling a child to apologize like they mean it.   Some of us say thank you in such a routine way what, that perhaps it is not said with a real sense of gratitude.   Perhaps we mumble the phrase because it is expected but it does not necessarily reflect the way we truly feel.

            When we are truly thankful for something or for some kind act, we need to express it in such a way that the individual or individuals know we appreciate what they have done.   That is why today I want to publicly thank Ms. Ann Pinder at the Registrar General’s Office for not only her efficiency and professionalism, but her kindness as well.

            The way Ms. Pinder served me, made me feel as if I was the only person in that office.   But on that particular day there were quite a number of people who needed her assistance, yet she still made me feel as if I was receiving special attention.

            As I reflect on her actions, I now realize that what she did that made us all contented to wait our turn is that she looked at each of us in the eyes as she spoke.   And when someone looks you in the eye and smiles at you, the wait becomes more palatable.

            We are a nation that depends on the good graces of others visiting our shores, but being able to offer service with a smile is something many of us still have not learned to do.   A very long time ago, after an entire day of smiling and asking if I could help a customer, I realized that I was not cut out to work in the service industry.   That is why I am ever so grateful when I meet people like Ms. Pinder who are able to offer service with a smile.

            This week I challenge you to thank someone who was able to make your day a bit better in some small way.   Perhaps it was a smile or a cup of coffee just when you needed it.   Whatever the circumstance, be sure to say thanks with a grateful heart and then pass it on to the next person you meet.