The Power of Thank You

Ok, so I am diverting from strictly bankruptcy topics once again, but I try to mix it up a little. Keep it interesting.  This morning our law firm, Perez Law Group, made another trip to St. Vincent de Paul to volunteer and serve breakfast.

I’m not going to lie to any of you. We have to get up early to do this, and that is never easy for a non-morning person like myself to do.  The first ten minutes are pretty difficult.  I am basically a robot.  I wish desperately that I had my Starbucks or that I was back in my cozy bed.  But, once that initial drowsy feeling is shaken, the rewards of the experience take over, and I am grateful that I’m there.

Today I got to hand out the trays to each person in the breakfast line. This time there were over 300 people in Phoenix in need of the service provided by St. Vincent’s.  Those numbers a pretty staggering, and the people in the line are varied.  There are the truly homeless and there are those that look like they have just fallen on to some hard times.  What they all have in common, however, is appreciation for what is being given to them.  I cannot count how many times my tray offering was met with a polite smile and warm “thank you.”  Those two words, “thank you,” really got to me this morning. It made me realize that even the smallest act, such as handing out a breakfast tray, can mean something to someone.  It brought a smile to my face.