Express Your Gratitude

“Goodbye! See you again!” You may say this when you come to say farewell to someone. I believe this greeting has a very important meaning, because it allows us to be thankful to our friends.

Close friends can spend time freely only by having small chats and telling jokes to each other. However because of that, sometimes they tend to forget to think about the other person’s feeling and hurt him by saying something heartless. This is not completely a bad thing, because to start off, if he is not close with the friend, this is an impossible act to take. Also since friends joke around saying absurd things, they often do not get a chance to express their gratitude to each other, so I always think that sometimes it is favorable to give my gratitude to people who are important to me in my life.

When I was little, my father used to say, “You must greet your friends by giving your full appreciation, because if you do not and if it is the last time you meet them, you will regret deeply.” Therefore I never greet hastily to my friends. I do not have a specific phrase, but I certainly greet them by looking straight in their eyes and thanking them every day for their kindness. A greeting is an important thing to do because it gives me an opportunity to be honest to my friends.

You may also have people who are special to you in your life. Whatever means you decide to take, the imperative fact is that you tell them that you are thankful. Friends may feel a little strange, but they will soon understand your gratitude and give you a smile.

Yuki Kamata

Japanese Version