*The importance of appreciation* (By: Marcus Henderson)

I was once told, “People don’t care how much you know…until they know how much you care!” If you really think about it, you can apply the concept to anything…with family, friends, coworkers, significant others, politics, the list can go on and on. When you teach your dog a trick, and after the 100th time he/she finally gets it? The average person will congradulate their dog with a treat, right? Because that dog values the treat, it will eventually perform the trick over and over again, because of its appreciation of that treat!! If we sit back, and think about it, (and be honest with ourselves) we would admit that when someone shows or verbalizes their appreciation consistently to us for something we do for them…it not only makes us feel good inside to be appreciated, but it makes us want to do that thing for that person more often!! But what is the instinctive thing for us to do as human beings, when we don’t feel appreciated?? It makes us want to stop doing things for the person who doesn’t make us feel appreciated!!! This is why a lot of men loose good women (vice versa)!!! My father always told me that looks will eventually fade away, and when you want a good man/good women, they have to have good qualitys! I believe a key quality to having a good foundation in a relationship, is a appreciation for each other!!! This goes back to what I opened up with in the beggining!! This amazing women/man that you may have, may know that you will provide for them, that you’ll buy them that car/house or jewlrey, you’ll fight over them, talk good behind their back, cook their meals, run that bathwater, fold those clothes….BUT….you have to consistently show them how much you care….before they start to care how much you know!!!! And one of the best ways to do it..(among many), is by showing your appreciation for all they do for you!!! Acknowledgement of the things that are done for you by other people that makes you feel special, that makes life a little easier, even down to the things that may be expected of that person, or even ones duty to do…A simple, “I appreciate you!”, or “I appreciate that”, or a old fashioned “Thank You” can go a long way, not only in just making the person you tell that too, feel good….but in making this world a better place!!! (Believe it or not) Our biggest weapon against evil…is kindness!!!! I’m not going to go into detail about all the evil things that have been going on in the world news latey over the last couple of years…but we can agree that it would take evil people to do the things that have been done, right??? Well maybe, just maybe we might have had a couple less evil people to do those things…if they would have felt appreciated!!! I want to take the time right now to Thank Suzie Jennings for this opportunity to talk to you!!!! On behalf of the locked up community We Appreciate the chance for our voices to still be heard…and relevant!!! May everyone reading this be blessed!!!

Marcus Henderson
DOC #732-916