Manners matter. Manners beget acts of thoughtfulness and kindness. I’m reminded of Blanche Dubois in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ when she says, “I have often relied on the kindness of strangers”. How does it make you feel to be on the receiving end of an unexpected act of kindness?
Special, right? Cared for, thought of, maybe even loved.
A few days ago, I was sharing about the loss of a sibling to a woman I knew only peripherally. Without warning, the woman stepped in and gave me the most comforting hug, saying how sorry she was to hear of my family’s loss. It brought tears to my eyes because of the purity of the gift coming so unexpectedly.
One of the axioms I like to keep in my mind is, ‘Have an Attitude of Gratitude’. Lately I’ve been thinking about the way an attitude of gratitude and good manners are linked together. They are symbiotic. Demonstrating truly good manners requires an inner strength of positivity, a gratitude that shines out; a delivery system, if you will, along which manners travel.
To me, the inside is where manners matter most; Our inside. I’ve heard it said that prayers benefit those who pray more than they do God, since God, in his omniscience, knows our prayers before we speak.
If I practice good manners to those I encounter, we both benefit. But don’t I benefit more as the giver? In my opinion, resoundingly, yes!
Tomorrow I’ll go deeper into this idea. My hope is that you will be inspired to join me in my quest to practice good manners in all things every day!
