The Gratitude Question - Oct. 25, 2026

to those of you married or bound

in any long-term significance

I have a question:

How often do you say “thank you”

to your other half for efforts made

for the benefit of both?

I absorbed manners at a young age

and historically repeat those words

to pourers of waters, holders of

doors, answerers of questions,

anyone that’s helpful

but with my spouse and all the

little things we do for each other,

a thank you for those efforts

can feel redundant, unnecessary

and is often skipped

still, whenever he acts directly

for my benefit, the tongue

in my mouth starts to migrate

to that position between the teeth

a breath of air gathers in my lungs

and those two words push out

like a baby in a hurry to be born