What’s the one thing that teenagers are consistently criticized for lacking? Common courtesy. Specifically, they don’t say “thank you” enough.

This is superficially emphasized by television shows and comic strips depicting lazy adolescents who are “forced” to help the old lady with her groceries or are constantly getting into trouble for being rude and uncaring. Parents, teacher and employers echo this perception as well and can probably tell more than a few stories about the “rude teen.”

As a teenager myself, I would like to clear up this misconception. It is possible to express “thanks” without actually saying “thank you.”

Gratitude is shown not just through two words, but through good intentions and small acts of kindness. I have faith that courtesy has not been lost in this generation because I have witnessed many appreciative acts firsthand and have been the recipient in many cases. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I set out to learn the ways in which teenagers show their gratitude.

Whitefish High School students had these thoughts on the matter:

“I go out of my way to do very small but nice things for the person I am thanking. Everyday things like helping them carry stuff, making them food, making a CD, or just helping them out whenever I can. I say “thank you” by doing whatever is asked of me and finding other ways to help out when nothing is asked of me.”

“I just smile at them and don’t say anything and sometimes they don’t get it and it’s just weird, but sometimes they understand. It’s much more valuable than saying anything.”

“I say thank you to my friends and family by being respectful to them and always listening to what they have to say.”

“When someone gives me a meaningful thing or does something meaningful, the expected thing, I think, is to do something as meaningful or more meaningful back. If they send you a card, you send a card back.”

“I say thank you by making gifts for people that represent what they mean to me. I’m really bad at words and I’m super sentimental, so making things is the way I show people what they mean to me. I painted this leather bracelet for my friend Brad one time to thank him for being such a solid person in my life.”

“I try to do something for that person, a little piece of gratitude whether it’s complimenting them or helping them out, just something that lets them know I appreciate what they did for me. I ‘pay it forward.’”

“Thank you.” This phrase is hidden in simple gestures and kind words. There are endless ways in which people demonstrate their gratefulness, and these students have only covered a fraction. While the family is seated around the table this Thanksgiving, each reciting the things he or she is grateful for, know that gratitude extends beyond this holiday. Don’t lose faith in America’s teenagers, they are much more thankful than one may think.

— Cassidy Grady is a senior at Whitefish High School