National Courtesy Month

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By Diane Forrest

There are lots of things

We can do to be nice,

Sometimes they're hard to remember.

But there are two little things

You should never forget,

From January through December.

He's talking 'bout please and thank you,

They're called the magic words,

If you want nice things to happen,

They're the words that should be heard,

Remember please and thank you,

'Cause they're the magic words.

If you have ever watched the television show, Barney, for children, you have probably heard this song.   It is an educational show with a large purple dinosaur who teaches things to children.  I can't tell you how many times this song has popped into my head, and my son is grown, so I haven't watched this show in years.  This message is still very important.

When I was growing up every time I received a gift my mother made me sit down and write a thank you note.  I still write them now, and have instilled that in my child as well.  I told him that if someone took the time to think of you, pick something out and give it to you, the very least you can do is to thank them.  Just this week I received two thank you notes in the mail.  It brought a smile to my face to know that some people are still courteous.

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Saying please is another way of being courteous.  This is especially necessary when you are out eating, and are requesting something from your server.  I was reading an article about how you can tell if the person you are dating is a good person.  One of the tips it offered was to notice how they treat the wait staff.  If someone is there to help you with something, saying please when you make a request and thank you when that request is performed will provide you much better service.

This month is National Courtesy Month.  If you are normally courteous, then you practice all the time.  If you are not, well you only have a few days left of this month to start getting into the habit.   If you need a reminder, just think of the Barney song, or click this site and then you can let it stick in your mind too!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3CgwV3o7AM   The most important thing to remember is the Golden Rule, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.