"I said it once before but it bears repeating now"

I've been talking about this a lot lately, so I'm sorry if some of you have already heard/read this, but I think it's important... so forgive me for repeating myself:

Manners are on the swift decline in this country. People can be so rude. It's so rare that people send thank you notes for gifts anymore, let alone hold doors open for people or say 'please' and 'excuse me.' I had to walk all around NYC the other day pushing a baby in a stroller through the snow. I got stuck several times and not only did people not offer to help me, but most cut me off or got in my way! And the three times I actually held a door for someone else, or let them pass before me (and the stroller), they didn't even say THANK YOU!

Some have scoffed at my talk of manners, saying they are unimportant, unnecessary and even a waste of time. I thoroughly disagree. When people have good manners, or as I like to call it SHOWING BASIC HUMAN DECENCY, it makes everyone happier and it makes living in a city (especially one as crowded as NYC), easier in every way.

My mother is one of the kindest, most generous and thoughtful human beings on the planet. She has taken care of everyone in our family, in sickness and in health, and she brought me up to be the kind of person who appreciates her efforts and tries to emulate her behavior. She’s famous for always having a shoulder for others to cry on, always being the one people lean on, and always making others feel comfortable; SHE IS A GREAT FRIEND. She always shows gratitude when others show her kindness, and it makes me a little sad that not everyone shows her as much appreciation for the things she does for them. She taught me that not only is it "good manners" to say please, send thank you notes, etc., it also MAKES PEOPLE FEEL GOOD. And I don't know about you, but making others happy makes me happy too. Conversely, when people are in their own little world, not caring about anyone else (even going out of their way to ignore others), it upsets me. Not just because I feel slighted, but because those people live very sad, lonely lives; when you don't care about other people, chances are, few people will care about you.

So yes: when someone holds a door for me I say thank you. When someone gives me a birthday present or shows me an act of kindness, I try to send them a thank you note. Not just because my mother taught me that it's the polite thing to do, but also because I care about the people in my life and want to show them appreciation and gratitude. My mother taught me that's what people should do for each other.