While it’s always good practice to move through daily life with a general spirit of thankfulness, we are all hopefully spending a little extra time leading up to Thanksgiving later this month reflecting more deeply on the things for which we are thankful, and the ways in which we can express that thankfulness.
It’s easy to say “thank you,” and we all probably habitually utter the word “thanks” dozens of times each day, for things as mundane as the grocery store cashier handing you your receipt, the person in front of you holding the door, or your spouse passing the salt shaker across the dinner table. In these cases, “thanks,” while very important, is more of a polite pleasantry than a profound expression of true gratitude.
On a recent evening at our local ballpark, I observed a very sweet exchange that really stuck with me. It served as a reminder for me of the difference between an in-passing “thanks” and an impactful “thank you.”
My son’s 10U baseball team had just finished their game and found a corner of the park where they could congregate and conduct their post-game huddle. As we typically do, the players’ parents and siblings gathered loosely around the team while we waited for Coach to finish discussing highlights and present the game ball.
I was interrupted from stuffing my lawn chair into its bag (and apparently chomping extra loudly on a wad of Bubblicious) by a gentle tap on my elbow. The adorable little sister of one of my son’s teammates asked, “Miss Claire, do you have any more gum?”
I shuffled through my purse and came up empty handed.
“I’m sorry, sweetie. That must have been my last piece, ” I said.
She replied, in her signature spunky way, “That’s okay! Thanks anyway!”
A nearby dad, having overheard our conversation, reached into his pocket, pulled out a pack of Extra gum, and extended it to our 4th-grade friend so that she could help herself to a piece.
“Thank you!” she exclaimed, as she unwrapped the foil wrapper and popped the stick into her mouth. And then, what she said next to that dad was so endearing to me: “I am very grateful.”
A simple “thanks” would, of course, have sufficed, but this sweet little girl went even further with a sincere sentiment of gratitude that you just don’t hear every day, as if that dad had just handed her a $100 bill rather than a stick of peppermint chewing gum.
I have thought a lot about her comment since that evening at the ballpark. I am lucky to have many things in my life for which I am very grateful. I feel a lot of thankfulness on a daily basis, but do I remember to express my gratitude often enough?
There are SO many people deserving of an “I am very grateful” from me.
My children’s teachers, who show up for them daily with love and patience. Their coaches, who volunteer their time and talents. Their grandparents, who fill in the gaps and help and support our family so tremendously. My husband, who works tirelessly at his job, and still embraces his roles as husband and father with great enthusiasm and care. My three siblings, who are each wonderful human beings and contribute amazing things to our strong family unit. My friends, who are oftentimes my best sounding boards, listening ears and sources of a lot of humor that balances the seriousness of adulthood and parenting.
I’m pretty certain all these people already know how thankful I am for them, but I also think it’s important that I remember to remind them often.
And so, as we enter into this season of gratitude, I’m going to try my best to channel the energy of my little ballpark buddy and go out of my way to express my appreciation as much as I can.
Maybe to the Harris Teeter employees who shop my online orders twice a week, saving me an infinite amount of time and also saving dinner many-a-day. Perhaps to my neighbors, who tolerate our tacky holiday inflatables, leave little treats in our mailbox for my kids to discover, and lovingly toss baseballs and soccer balls back over the fence after they somehow turn up in their flawless flowerbeds.
Maybe to the nurse at our pediatrician’s office who always expertly tackles the annual Herculean task of administering flu shots to my two melodramatic needle-phobes with unmatched patience. Or to the gentleman in our neighborhood who can frequently be seen picking up stray pieces of litter on his daily walks. To the high school kids who go out of their way to say hello or offer up a fist bump or hug to my 8- and 11-year-olds at school. And lucky for me, the list of people for whom I am genuinely grateful just goes on.
If you are any one of these folks whose kindness, patience, helpfulness, and acts of service have touched my life, I don’t just want to say “thanks.” I am very grateful. And I hope I get to tell you in person one day soon
Read CityView Magazine’s “The Giving Issue” November 2025 e-edition here.