Task, Table for Two & The Power of Thank You

3 Things I'm Loving, Reading, Watching or Doing

1. A Great Podcast Episode (Nick Offerman on Tools That Last)

Offerman (Parks & Rec AND also a professional woodworker) talks about craftsmanship, slowing down, and building things that endure. Makes me wanna build more physical things with my kids, especially in this digital age.

2. Task (HBO Max, Mark Ruffalo)Erin and I loved this series. Really tough emotional dad moments that sneak up on you, and the cast is incredible. May elicit a tear or two in the finale.

3. Table for Two by Amor TowlesI loved A Gentleman in Moscow, and Towles’ new short-story collection is equally fantastic. It includes a novella that picks up a thread from Rules of Civility, which Towles fans will appreciate. I guess I like short stories?

2 Quotes Worth Pondering

“ ‘Thank you’ is the best prayer anyone could say.” — Alice Walker

“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” — William James

1 Big Dad Idea

The Power of “Thank You”

I’ve written before about the challenge of raising gritty, grateful kids when they’re growing up in a much more privileged environment. It takes intentionality. Sometimes that means deliberately not giving them the easiest version of life, like buying well below our means (“two scoops, five spoons”) or making sure they contribute to household chores.

But sometimes the solution isn’t some big parenting strategy. Sometimes it’s as simple as two words: “Thank you.”

In our house, those words are expected, even for the smallest things. And I truly believe they stack up over time. So, it’s expected . . .

• when someone gives you a ride home (yes, even Mom or Dad)

• when someone shows up to your performance, game, recital, or ceremony (yes, even siblings whose attendance was mandatory)

• when someone gives you feedback (yes, even a teacher or coach you may not love)

• when someone holds a door or lets you pass

• when a server, barista, cashier or custodian helps you

• when a friend includes you in plans or invites you over

• when someone compliments you or notices your effort

Sounds obvious, but if you spend any time around schools, teams, or groups of teens, you know this is not always the norm. And our own kids sometimes need that pointed look across the room to remind them.

But this simple “Thank you” serves two purposes.

For one, it acknowledges the other person. It shows them their effort mattered (according to William James in the quote above, it’s one of our deepest human cravings).

But an equally important win is what it does inside the kid saying it. It’s shaping a posture. A mindset. A habit that is reminding, “I’m not the center of the universe. People help me. I depend on others. I’m not entitled to anything.”

Every ‘thank you’ is a small deposit that compounds.

And the great part is that it costs nothing.

Takes two seconds.

And returns dividends for decades . . . or so we hope. ;)