By Dr Sajad Hussein Kamarally
We say it so quickly these days, don’t we? “Thanks. ”Beep. “Thanks. ”Swipe. “Thank you. ”And we walk away.
But I’m talking about the real “Thank You.”The one that makes you stop for three seconds.The one that comes with eye contact.
The one that genuinely comes from the heart.I saw one last week at a nasi lemak stall.
A gentleman accidentally dropped his sambal.The lady behind the counter didn’t scold him. She simply smiled, cleaned it up and prepared a fresh one for him.
He looked at her and said, slowly and clearly: “Terima kasih banyak, kak.”her whole face lit up.For the rest of the morning, I noticed she was humming as she worked.Just two words.
But those two words made someone feel appreciated.I felt that same warmth myself one rainy morning.I was taking my granddaughter to school. Umbrella in hand. Wet shoes. Traffic everywhere. When I dropped her off, she turned around, gave me a huge smile and said: “Thank you, Dada. From the heart.” That was it.
My whole day changed. On days when I’m tired, off-colour or a little cranky, I simply close my eyes and remember that smile.And somehow, I feel brighter again.
That is the power of a sincere thank you. It costs nothing. But its value is priceless. There was a time when we said thank you to the bus conductor.
To the teacher who stayed behind after school. To the neighbour who watched our house while we were away.And we really meant it.
Today, we receive automatic messages saying: “Thank you for your purchase. ”We collect a thousand likes.But how many real thank yous do we give?
A thank you tells someone: “I see you. What you did mattered.”
To the security guard standing under the hot sun. To the cleaner working while the rest of us are asleep. To your wife who packed your lunch. To your son who fixes your cranky computer. We often think that it takes big gestures to change the world. I’m not so sure.
I think ten sincere thank yous a day might be enough to make the world a little better. Try it today.
Thank the person at the petrol station. Thank the nurse. Thank the person who held the door open for you.
And this time, don’t just say it. Look them in the eye.smile. And mean it. The world will not change overnight.
But someone’s day might.
And perhaps yours will too.Because gratitude is not merely about good manners.
It is power. The power to make someone feel seen, valued and—most importantly—human again.
Dr Sajad H Kamarally (sajadhk05@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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