Take A Few Minutes Out Of Your Day To Say Thank You

Lisa gets up for work around 4 a.m. By this time, I've made her lunch, a hot breakfast and 2 cups of coffee. One in a travel mug. The other for her to have with breakfast. Once up, she takes the kids outside. I shut everything down in our home office. Close the door. Take my glasses off. Brush my teeth. Pee. Crawl into bed and give the kids their morning lovin'. Belly rubs. Back massages. They've come to expect it. I do this while Lisa makes their breakfast.

After the kids eat, Lisa sits on the bed and eats her breakfast. All 3 kids are on the bed with us. I'm nestled under the blankets. Lisa gives the kids tiny bites of whatever she's having for breakfast. It's always pup friendly. My eyes are heavy. Once Lisa is done eating, the kids are covered. They each get a small biscuit. After hugs and kisses, Lisa shuts the door to the bedroom and proceeds with her usual morning routine.

This morning, shortly after Lisa closed the door, I get a text message.

I know it's not easy being a work-at-home dog Mom. You're the best at it. You take care of me, the kids and our home. I know you're tired all the time, but that never stops you from going above and beyond. Thank you for that.

I may have gotten a little choked up.

I replied.

Thank you for getting up every morning at 3:45 and going to work. Not once have you ever complained about that. You're a hard worker and an excellent provider. The kids and I never go without. We are very lucky.

That was it.

Our life is busy. Lisa gets up early in the morning. Goes to work. No complaints. She goes above and beyond. She's been with the same company for almost 15 years. She's one of the hardest workers I know. After work, she tends to Bodacious Biscuit Love stuff, runs errands and helps out around the house.

I work at home. A lot of my work is done on the overnight. Often times I'm running on 3 hours of sleep. I take care of our kids. There's always a hot meal on the table for dinner. I do the bulk of the housework. I bake dog biscuits several times a week. My day-to-day schedule is never the same.

In the evening we convene for dinner. Time with the kids. Family snuggle time on the sofa. Dishes. Laundry. Whatever else needs to be done. Then, around 9, Lisa and the kids get ready for bed. I tuck them in. The kids get their goodnight cookies.

No matter how busy it gets, we don't forget to say thank you. Sometimes, it's text messages like the one this morning. Or the occasional bouquet of flowers and bottle of wine. A giant, homemade chocolate chip cookie in the shape of a heart. Homemade cinnamon rolls. New plush socks. The small tokens of gratitude vary.

What it boils down to is saying, "Thank you." Too often, and I'm speaking for the majority, we get caught up in the hustle and bustle. We forget to say thank you. Job well done. We forget to extend gratitude.

And we shouldn't. 

Today, take a few minutes out of your day to say thank you to your spouse, partner, coworkers, loved ones, friends, etc. It makes all the difference in the world.