The Power of a Thank You

[Erin Daubert]

I arrived in the airport in Brazil, touching ground for the first time in South America. It was a scary yet thrilling experience. With two suitcases, a carry-on and a year ahead of me, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. And my limited vocabulary of “Hello,” “goodbye,” “thank you” and “you’re welcome” in Portuguese didn’t ease any of the nervousness. But, following the crowds, I somehow managed to make it from the plane to the luggage pick-up and, eventually, to my hotel.

My first month in Brazil was quite the struggle. Coming with almost no knowledge of Portuguese and knowing no one, I felt like I was starting over. I moved in with a Brazilian family barely able to communicate. I attempted to navigate my way around the city on public transportation with few ideas of where I was going and no way to ask for help.

However, I learned that even with my lack of Portuguese, I had the power to communicate. When a bus driver stopped to pick me up or dropped me off at my stop, I smiled and said a simple, “thank you.” When the pharmacist helped me find something at the drug store, I smiled and said a simple, “thank you.” When my host mother cooked dinner for me or made me a special dessert, I smiled and said, “thank you.” I think I smiled and said “thank you” more times in one month than I had in my entire life… as it was my only way to communicate.

While I am now able to speak Portuguese well enough to study at a Brazilian university, have Brazilian friends and make my way in the Brazilian world, I will never forget the power of a smile and a thank you. Although I could say nothing else when I first touched Brazilian ground, those small forms of communication communicated wonders. Somehow, a smile and a “thank you” were enough that I was able to survive and begin to form relationships.

As you go about your life, think about how many people do things for you- the garbage collectors who pick up your trash on the side of the road; the woman behind the counter of Starbucks who takes your order; the driver who lets you switch lanes in front of him; the janitor at your job or school who picks up after you daily. We so often forget the power of a thank you yet there are so many times when a small sign of gratitude could go wonders. I encourage you to think about the people you meet every day who do little things for you. God gave us the power to show gratitude, so use it! Let them know in some way how much you appreciate them… give them a smile and a thank you!