Thank you's and How are you's

Isn’t it comforting to constantly be reminded that kindness is our general approach to life together? Even when you don’t care to hear a “Thank you” or a “How are you?” or you can tell it was rushed or forced, I think it’s nice that our agreed-upon goal is positivity.

“How are you?” is an inquiry of interest, while “Thank you” is a testimony of recognition. And there's probably been a million of them spoken around the world since you started reading this.

They are such beautiful expressions. We forget how personal they are because they are also

courtesy-culture customs. It is admirable to want to channel the profoundly personal in a routine, casual way, but such expansion of quantity is bound to diminish quality.

“How are you?” usually feels like, sounds like, and is an automatic question. We have adapted it as second nature, and although that is virtuous, we in turn have desensitized ourselves to the truly compassionate core of that question.

Our mechanical minds should not suggest that we have habitual hearts. Our souls do not want to lie, no matter how much easier it might make everyday interactions.

We ask “How are you?” out of custom and reply “Good, thanks” out of compulsion. Sometimes that compulsion is a lie, and we ache for a chance to answer their question honestly and to say how we’re really doing.

Differently but similarly, “Thank you” is an acknowledgment of another person’s worth. If you have ever heard the words “Thank you” spoken to you, you have been recognized as a vessel of value. To anyone who has not heard those words before, I thank you for reading this. You taking the time to hear my thoughts means so much to me.

If you ever would like to talk to a friend about how you are doing, NewtNote is managed by a living breathing person (me!) and I am always here to hear.