You seldom hear the polite phrases that were a common way of speaking in years gone by. I remember the first time I met a friend, several years ago now, who when I had thanked her for something, she said, “Oh, no.” “It is my pleasure!”
As our friendship grew, she used that phrase often and I always felt that it came from her heart. In other words, she was saying, do not thank me – I was happy to do this thing for you. She had learned at an early age, probably from her mother who owned a bakery, that politeness was the key to successful business.
Being polite is important in our relationships as well. Even the most hardened of hearts wants to be loved and appreciated. My friend and others like her have learned that doing for others is truly a pleasure. The general response when one says, “thank you” is simply, “You are welcome.” It is a cordial, but empty response. When you say instead, “It is my pleasure!,” the person feels a greater sense of thankfulness. When Juliette tells Romeo in Shakespear’s famous play, “The more I give (love) to thee, the more I have,” nothing could be more true. Any act of kindness is an act of love and that is the greatest treasure.
Those who have not learned that we live in an infinite universe, believe they must hoard their possessions, their money, and their love. They struggle to acquire and to hold onto the people and the things in their lives. They live in constant fear that what they have will be lost or taken away; but that which we give away freely always returns to us multiplied.
It has been said that if we want more in our lives, we must give more. If we want more money, we must give more of it away. If we want more happiness, we must strive to make others happy. If we want more love, we must be loving. It is truly for our own pleasure, that we give.
