Gratitude changes person to person. I like put some thought into what each person likes when showing them I’m grateful. I have an old coworker whom I adore beyond compare, and I know words of affirmation make him incredibly uncomfortable.
When I know he’s done something thoughtful, I generally get him some sort of small sweet treat and love to see his excitement from the little gift. He can know I mean to say thank you without the extra words he doesn’t know how to respond to.
Knowing someone’s language is immensely important to expressing appreciation. My boyfriend isn’t so much on gifts but puts a lot of weight into words of endearment. I once had an incredibly busy day and didn’t get back to him over text after he expressed his love for me, but bought him a small bar of his favorite candy.
When I got home, he jokingly told me I couldn’t ignore him all day and buy his love with objects. I apologized for not getting back to him and we laughed as he ate the candy and I told him how much I loved him and enjoyed him in my life. It made me realize how important communication is to him and renewed my sense of importance to get back to his calls and texts.
Letting someone know you appreciate them is always a positive to me. I love to know when someone genuinely is grateful for something I have done. The idea that I made someone feel special enough or appreciated enough they want to say thank you is singular.
At the end of it all, I suppose the fact of the matter is that it doesn’t matter in what way you express your gratitude. Whether you receive or express your gratitude, just recognizing that you went out of your way too tell someone, “Hey, I appreciated that,” or “I really liked this about you” rarely makes you feel worse than you did before you said something. Even if it isn’t gracefully received, I can guarantee you made someone’s day; made them feel more seen than they did before.
Bailey Blog 
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