When I was a kid, my parents taught me to be appreciative. When my aunts gave a birthday presents that time, they always advice me to say "THANK YOU" no matter how expensive or cheap the gifts are. So as I grow older, that behavior is still unto me — to be grateful with everything I received.
I just want to share also my memories of joining Christmas parties when I was in Elementary and High School. Since then, before we buy the gifts, there's a standard price we should follow. Let's say for example, the standard price is 100 pesos, so we should have to buy a gift with a minimum of 150 pesos and above, and not lower than the said price. But then, not all of us are fortunate. I have some classmates who can't afford to buy such gifts with the said price.
With that, I experienced receiving a gift which costs below 100 pesos, but I've never felt disappointed with it. Just like what my parents taught me, I said thank you to the one gave me the present and I smiled showing that I love the gift regardless of the price.
I can't just demand and complain to someone especially if that's only what they can afford to give. Furthermore, I don't want to hurt someone's feeling knowing that even though they are poor and the money they used to buy the gift was supposed to be the source of their meals, they still manage to make us smile by leaning a present.
I don't want to break someone's heart just because I don't want a cheap gifts. I am not a materialistic person. I can appreciate everything even the small gestures you've shown to make my heart flutter.
Some are saying, you don't deserve that kind of gift because you spend too much on what you gave. But as the saying goes "it's better to give than to receive," it is an honor for me to make someone smile and just appreciate what I've got. It's still a gift whether it's cheap or expensive.
Let's teach ourselves to appreciate everything we have, and what we received from others. We don't know how much effort they exerted for that gift no matter how big or small it is. We don't know the reason behind their small but good actions toward us, so we should always accept everything wholeheartedly and take away all the complaints trying to form in our mind.
As a matter of fact, I felt sad for those people who have the guts to shame others just because they can't afford to give them costly things.
I felt sad for those child who got angry with their parents for buying them a key-pad phone rather than smartphones. They didn't know how much sacrifices and hardworks their parents exerted to buy that thing. Even if they are already dying from starvation and illness, they still think of making their child happy by means of buying what they want. But, the problem with kids nowadays (not all, of course) is that, they hardly appreciate their parents' efforts to make them happy. They keep on being demanding and complain later on if what they got doesn't meet their standards.
On the other hand, I admire those young ones who are always thankful for everything they have. Instead of saying "I don't like that" they will utter "thank you for this one."
Even if they are living in discomfort because of being born without a silver spoon on their mouth, they still manage to smile and be grateful for what they have. They still appreciate the shelter they are currently living in, the food served in front of them, and most importantly, they appreciate their family's effort to sustain their daily living even if it wasn't as grand as the lives of a wealthy family.
Be Grateful
Always be grateful with everything we got. Small things coming from a kind-hearted person are priceless. We should learn how to look behind the things we received (the person who gave and his/her reasons for giving us that) rather than looking at the price and its appearance.
Be Thankful
Always say "Thank you" when someone gives us something or when they did good to us. Show them how much we appreciate their good deeds by being thankful to them and never look down from the efforts they exerted.
Appreciating is a good deed
As the title of this article suggests, being appreciative is as good as helping others. Why? When we became appreciative, it's not just us who became happy, the person behind putting a smile on our faces by giving or doing something nice to us, can also experience the heart-warming feeling. If they know that they caused ecstatic feeling to others, they are being joyful as well.
Just imagine yourself causing a person to smile, isn't it satisfying to see? But, if that person frown and doesn't appreciate what you gave/did, what will you feel?
CONCLUSION
Being appreciative is as good as helping others. Appreciating is a good deed because it's like helping others to feel how good they are as a person for putting a smile on someone's faces. It seems like, we are showing them how valuable they are as a person and how generous they are for giving something to us regardless of the price.
We don't know what others feel behind what they gave. We don't know if they are undergoing the dark side of life which makes them hopeless, so might as well appreciate them, and never be the reason for another pile of sadness. Instead, light a candle of joy for them by being glad with everything they gave/did.
Make others smile by saying "Thank you" and learn to appreciate everything we received whole-heartedly, without co mplaining.
Author's Note:
When you know how to appreciate people and things the more people appreciated you.