This quote from George Cummings, says it all.

"Every person you meet in life has a flashing sign on their chest. It says, 'Make me feel special'."

There is no greater thing that we can do in each human interaction than to make other person feel special. Now, this is not done by phony and insincere words, but by creating a feeling of acceptance in other person. A feeling that you know them, their feelings and accept them just way they are.

And no, you don't have to agree with everything they say or do. What you must do ,however, is hear what they say and respect their right to feel as they feel.

My husband and I have bought things from eBay for years: books, Tommy Bahama tops, baseball memorabilia, dolls, etc. Recently, we came across a first that made us both take notice. With book seller had enclosed a THANK YOU card. He wrote a little note inside simply thanking us for our purchase. It wasn't note, I guess, that was so surprising. It was fact that SO MANY before him hadn't done so; a fact that hadn't hit us until we saw this sender's note.

Graciousness is a beautiful thing. Humanized, it'd be a cross between Johnny Depp and Beyonce. It would have sweetness and goodness of Mother Theresa, and wit and wisdom of Oprah.

Unfortunately, it's becoming an endangered trait in danger of becoming extinct. How many times do we go through an ever-increasingly painful department store check-out routine choreographed by a sour cashier? How often, when going through a drive-thru, do we have to guess when our worker in window is done with us. I remember when "Thank You, have a nice day" was my cue to drive on. Half time now I get a blank look and a bag who's contents supposedly match up with what I said.

The great Roman Orator and Politician, Marcus T. Cicero, said, "Gratitude is not only greatest of virtues, but parent of all others". True, that. If one has gratitude, it's a pretty fair estimation that many other virtues will follow: kindness, fairness, temperment, tolerance, etc. It's one of things that should separate us from those who walk about upon four as opposed to two.