What you gotta say?

I remember when I was a kid. As I got a gift from an adult, the only thing I wanted was to open the package and go play. But when I was with the toy in my hands and began to give back to those who had gifted me, my mother came and said: "What you gotta say?" So, half unwillingly, not quite understanding what that meant, I turned to the person who gifted me and said "thank you", and then ran to enjoy my new treasure.

Who has ever experienced this? And who also never felt satisfied with the demonstration of gratitude of a child with the toy you bought him/her? Gratitude does that: brings satisfaction to those who do good, while paving the way for the recipient to be honored once again with some gift. After all, we feel more likely to benefit people that are grateful.

However, sometimes I think that gratitude has been rare in our society. I have noticed that people have said "thank you" each time more, but in a automatic, mechanical somewhat . The appreciation has become an obligatory gesture to show that we are civilized, and only that. Maybe because, as children, our parents teach us just to say "thank you", and not to feel.

A german pastor named Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said: "It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich." With this, we can understand that a person can even have things that make others call him "rich", but if he is not grateful for all the gifts he received, that wealth is an illusion. I say this because gratitude is the twin sister of satisfaction. Now, if you are not grateful for what you have, so you are not satisfied: you're unfortunate. But who is grateful is infinitely rich, it has the whole universe at your disposal.

Do not just say "thank you" or "I appreciate that". Remember you as a child: that overflowing joy, the desire to run just pleased to have won a cart or a doll ... No words can properly translate that feeling, but someone found a name for it: gratitude. And we have no idea what that feeling is able to bring.

You can imagine yourself as a child right now: health, food on the table, the clothes you wear and the air you breathe are gifts that every day an Adult offers you . Some call this Adult Mr. Life,  others Mr. Universe, I call him God. Know that your smile is the greatest incentive for Him feel even more motivated to bestow you many blessings.

And from today, when life in delivered a beautiful wrapping in your hands  (and it does it every day), remember to feel intensely satisfied and smiling. And when your heart was overflowing with gratitude, say "thank you." That's what you gotta say.

(Text originally published in Diário do Sudoeste da Bahia, the newspaper).