My Little Gratitude Experiment
Alright, so I gotta share something I’ve been trying out lately. It started because I felt like I was just going through the motions, you know? Especially with saying thanks. It felt kinda hollow sometimes. So, I decided I needed to consciously practice being thankful, actually feel it and show it. I kinda nicknamed this whole thing my ‘mercibeaucoup’ project in my head. Sounds fancy, but it really wasn’t.
First off, I just tried saying “thank you” more often, like, really meaning it. Looking people in the eye. Didn’t feel like a huge change, honestly. Then I thought, okay, maybe words aren’t enough. Actions speak louder, right? I remembered my neighbor, old Mr. Henderson, helped me jumpstart my car last winter when I was totally stuck. Proper lifesaver. I never really did anything beyond saying thanks.
The Plan (and the Mess)
I noticed his garden gate was always making this awful screeching noise whenever he opened it. Drove me nuts just hearing it. So, I figured, aha! Perfect chance. I’ll fix his gate. A real, tangible thank you. Grabbed my rusty toolbox, found some oil stuff, and went over there one afternoon when I saw he wasn’t home. Thought I’d surprise him.
- Got the oil can ready.
- Tried to target the hinges.
- Ended up spraying way too much.
- Oil started dripping everywhere, making a dark stain on his nice white gate.
- Then I tried wiping it, which just smeared it. Looked worse.
- And the squeak? Still there. Maybe even louder now, mocking me.
What Actually Happened
So there I was, looking like a complete idiot, hands covered in grease, staring at this messed-up gate. Just then, Mr. Henderson pulls into his driveway. My heart sank. I was expecting him to be annoyed, maybe yell a bit. I started stammering out an apology, trying to explain my brilliant ‘thank you’ plan.
But you know what? He just started chuckling. Not laughing at me, but just this warm, friendly chuckle. He came over, looked at the mess, looked at me, and said something like, “Well, the gate’s certainly got character now, eh?” He went inside, came back with a rag and some weird cleaning stuff I’d never seen. And then, get this, he showed me how to clean off the grease properly and pointed out this tiny little spot on the hinge I’d missed. A little squirt there, a wiggle, and silence. The squeak was gone.
The Real ‘Merci Beaucoup’
We stood there for a bit, just chatting. He didn’t make a big deal out of my screw-up. He just accepted my clumsy attempt and then helped me fix it. It hit me then. My grand plan to show gratitude had totally failed. But in that moment, standing there talking with him, sharing a laugh about the greasy gate, that felt like real connection. I felt genuinely thankful, not just for the jumpstart months ago, but for him being so cool about my failed gate mission.
So, this whole ‘mercibeaucoup’ thing didn’t end up being about big gestures. It’s more about just showing up, trying, even if you make a mess. And maybe, more importantly, learning to accept kindness when it comes back your way, even when you feel like you don’t deserve it. It’s still a work in progress, this gratitude stuff. It’s messy. But I guess sometimes the best thank you isn’t a perfectly fixed gate, but just being willing to get your hands dirty, screw up, and connect with someone for real.
