It’s thought that normal human discourse ends with “bye.”
As a teenager, my mom got upset when I didn’t tell her goodbye on the phone or when leaving a room. Perhaps that negligence on my part was fueled by my raging teenage angst, but I eventually came around and made sure to close conversations as she wished.
When I sign most emails these days, I end with “Thanks”, even if the recipient should be thanking me. I want to close with gratitude, even if I’m merely thanking them for the attempt at connection. I work hard to include the same sentiment in phone calls.
I don’t mean for this display to lose its power, but I do want to sound and seem appreciative.
What if we had an expectation of appreciation in all of our interactions? How could that change the nature of our work and leisure?
A notion of gratitude can go a long way, especially in our world that prides itself on brevity, anonymity, and efficiency.