Personal Narrative Essay: The Power of Thank You

“Thank you” is a phrase we hear daily, a phrase that doesn't hold much weight to most people anymore. We hear it after everything we do, and it should be this way, but a constant use for this simple phrase in our society has rendered it insignificant to many. I take the words “thank you” in a different way, I take these two simple words genuinely—every time. This is because no matter what was done to deserve those words, one never knows the impact an action has had on a person. Somebody’s “thank you” could be a way of giving thanks for something done, or it could be a simple, polite response. The truth is that you never know the weight of somebody’s thanks, this is why I have always taken, even the most passive “thank you,” to heart.

Service, of any kind, has always been something that has always been important to me. I will even go so far as to say I love volunteering for people; community service, service to my church, my school, and others have always been enjoyable to me. I also love to serve others, to give back, to see a face of gratitude or even hear a simple “thank you” from those in need. These things always leave me with a sense of accomplishment and make anything I do worthwhile. I became involved in service at a young age as I watched my mother volunteer at an innumerable amount of events, she was always the class parent, or a hardworking member of whatever school committee needed her. She organized countless school, church, and charity events, and this selfless volunteer work always amazed me. I could see the hard but good work she was doing, and how good it would make me feel to even assist her with the smallest things, this is where my service journey began. 

I volunteered at a food bank in the summer before my sophomore year of high school. Much of my service experience before that had been enjoyable, but this event is what changed my entire outlook on volunteer service. On this hot summer morning, I assisted in handing out produce to a long line of people who had come from all over to receive a bag of food for their week. The satisfaction of that day came to me when I saw the relief on the faces of many who had just found out where their next meal was coming from, and hearing the genuine “thank you” from the mouth of every person that morning. 

I would like to be able to use my love for helping others, and love for hard work to achieve a goal in a legal career. While it is not usually volunteer work, a career in law is still work that serves the needs of others, the most gratifying work to me. A career in the legal world requires hard work, and nearly all of the attorneys and law students I have spoken to say the education and the job are full of hard work, while these words might turn most away from the idea of a career and path of study where working hard is central, I see it as a challenge, something that is gratifying in itself. Seeing the fruition of hard work renders the same level of satisfaction as seeing others who are relieved and thankful for the results of your efforts, and a career that applies both of these things is what draws me to law the most.

“Thank you” is a phrase we hear daily, a phrase that doesn't hold much weight to most people anymore. It is sometimes the culmination of hard work and helping others. A simple, two-word phrase can mean so much coming from anyone, and can mean even more to the one receiving the thanks. I hope to use my love for hard work and making others’ lives better in a future legal career. Even with service being a central part of my life, a simple thank you has never lost its value to me.