“Thank you” I answered, unsure of the proper American response to her gracious enthusiasm. In the Arab world, gratitude is a language unto itself, “May Allah bless the hands that give me this gift”; “Beauty is in your eyes that find me pretty”; “May God extend your life”; “May Allah never deny your prayer”; “May the next meal you cook for us be in celebration of your son’s wedding…of your daughter’s graduation…your mother’s recovery”; and so on, an infinite string of prayerful appreciation. Coming from such a culture, I have always found a mere “thank you” an insufficient expression that makes my voice sound miserly and ungrateful.
But the guttural silk tones of Arabic rippled through me as I heard the melodic calls and responses of my language. It’s a dance, really. A man at a desk was offered teas as I walked through the metal detectors. He said, “Bless your hands” to the one making the offer, who responded, “And your hands, and may Allah keep you always in Grace”. Calls and responses that dance in the air.
Thank you seems rather pale and deficient by comparison. Let this be a challenge to us to express our gratitude more richly; to bless those who bless us.