Friday, April 25, 2014

Day 115, April 25

"Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart."--Henry Clay

Though I admire the writings of Henry Clay, I take exception to the description of courtesies as "small and trivial," for I believe that courtesies are never small and never trivial.  On the contrary, I believe that courtesy is the hallmark of a civilized society.  Our society has increasingly grown away from this as we disregard manners and basic civility.

When did we decide that a text sufficed as a thank-you?  When did we decide that a rude gesture and/or a crude word was the right way to deal with someone who has (probably) accidentally cut us off in traffic?  When did we decide that giving up a seat to an elderly person or a pregnant woman on a bus was too much trouble?

Certainly, this is not true of everyone.  There are welcome exceptions to this.  But my heart is saddened when I witness uncaring, unkind behavior.

Joy for today:  giving and receiving courtesies.


1 comment:

  1. Courtesies are so important. It makes my heart full to give a small courtesy. And I feel especially blessed when I am on the receiving end.

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