<p class="bodytext">I woke up on New Year’s Day, grateful for all that I had endured and overcome this last year. I had spent several months in bed wracked by back pain, or visiting various specialists, undergoing tests, x-rays, MRIs and ingesting pain medication. My ordeal ended with major spine surgery involving a long period of recovery. My house-help (house-angels as I call them) rallied around me admirably during this time and I thought New Year’s Day was a good day to thank them.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Unused as they were like most humans, to any kind of appreciation, when I called out to them, they approached me, apprehension writ on their faces. And when I said “I want to say something to you,” their fears seemed to increase. As I thanked them for helping me through my recovery, they sagged with relief. One of them mumbled, “We thought you were angry.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">I wondered. Why is it we as humans are so forthcoming while finding fault and so grudging while being appreciative? I remember working in a store that had over a thousand exhibits on sale. It took all day just to keep them dust-free. But when the owner of the store came over one day, he looked through the whole store, and finally, finding no major lapses, seemed to feel an urge to say something all the same. “In the last room, by the window, there is a little photo frame that has specks of dust on it. Shouldn’t you be paying more attention to it?” I gasped with shock but consoled myself. It was a major unvoiced complement that he had cleared over nine hundred exhibits and found only one fault. I resolved that day that I would be different and would find reasons to praise people henceforth.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While transiting through Frankfurt once, I found the captain of the first leg of my flight from Bengaluru next to me at the baggage belt. He had just brought us on the smoothest flight right from take-off to landing and I wanted to thank him. I went up to him and asked whether he was the one who had piloted our aircraft. A frown clouded his face and he nodded, wondering what was coming. Clearly not wanting to engage in conversation, he began to walk away. I followed him, requesting a word with him. He stopped reluctantly, even defiantly, ready for an altercation. “I want to thank you for today’s flight. I was so comfortable and owe that to you,” I said. Still frowning, he let my words sink in. And then, surprise, relief and happiness combined, he smiled, thanked me and hurried away, leaving me wondering about his reaction.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Is thank you a bad word? I wonder. </p>
<p class="bodytext">I woke up on New Year’s Day, grateful for all that I had endured and overcome this last year. I had spent several months in bed wracked by back pain, or visiting various specialists, undergoing tests, x-rays, MRIs and ingesting pain medication. My ordeal ended with major spine surgery involving a long period of recovery. My house-help (house-angels as I call them) rallied around me admirably during this time and I thought New Year’s Day was a good day to thank them.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Unused as they were like most humans, to any kind of appreciation, when I called out to them, they approached me, apprehension writ on their faces. And when I said “I want to say something to you,” their fears seemed to increase. As I thanked them for helping me through my recovery, they sagged with relief. One of them mumbled, “We thought you were angry.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">I wondered. Why is it we as humans are so forthcoming while finding fault and so grudging while being appreciative? I remember working in a store that had over a thousand exhibits on sale. It took all day just to keep them dust-free. But when the owner of the store came over one day, he looked through the whole store, and finally, finding no major lapses, seemed to feel an urge to say something all the same. “In the last room, by the window, there is a little photo frame that has specks of dust on it. Shouldn’t you be paying more attention to it?” I gasped with shock but consoled myself. It was a major unvoiced complement that he had cleared over nine hundred exhibits and found only one fault. I resolved that day that I would be different and would find reasons to praise people henceforth.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While transiting through Frankfurt once, I found the captain of the first leg of my flight from Bengaluru next to me at the baggage belt. He had just brought us on the smoothest flight right from take-off to landing and I wanted to thank him. I went up to him and asked whether he was the one who had piloted our aircraft. A frown clouded his face and he nodded, wondering what was coming. Clearly not wanting to engage in conversation, he began to walk away. I followed him, requesting a word with him. He stopped reluctantly, even defiantly, ready for an altercation. “I want to thank you for today’s flight. I was so comfortable and owe that to you,” I said. Still frowning, he let my words sink in. And then, surprise, relief and happiness combined, he smiled, thanked me and hurried away, leaving me wondering about his reaction.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Is thank you a bad word? I wonder. </p>
