Thanks much?

As kids, we are brought up to be polite, say please, thank you, etc. I still remember getting presents that I didn't even want or ask for, yet I rolled my eyes and dragged out the 'THANK YOU' because that is what we were taught to do.

In the past week, I've been fortunate enough to be in a position to 'help out with shidduchim' and be a sorta 'makeshift Shadchan' for some singles. Whilst I sat with papers, profiles, computer databases and sorted through the 'creme de la creme' as the French say and did all the follow up work, I did not ONCE, get a decent 'thanks'.

Do I necessarily need the thank you? nopes.

Is it common courtesy? yes

Does it make you feel appreciated and want to help out more? double yes

which is why I totally get why my parents brought us up to thank people.

a. It tells them we care and feel we appreciate what they have done for us (even, if in shidduchim all it means is a thought, or a phonecall)

b. It makes them feel that they did something for someone else and the thank you makes them feel good enough to want to do it more.

So, not only did the people I helped out NOT even say thanks-they criticized my choices and were very rude-which is even worse than a non-thank you in the first place.

Will that stop me from helping others? no sir-ree, I will not let some rude, ungrateful people stop me, in fact I want to prove (to myself?) that there are lotsa other nice people out there and continue on my same mission.

But just remember-a small little thank you, goes a long LONG way!