While growing up I remember my aunt(mom) teaching us the five magic words. I know you will be wondering why I put mom in bracket. I call her mom while growing up and I still do that till date and age sees me as her daughter though she didn't birth me, I grew up with her, my primary, secondary and university education was with her, she treated and saw me as her child so I always refer to her as my mom and she refers to me as her adopted daughter.
She never treated me differently from her children, what she gave her children, she also gave me, therefore, I never felt like I wasn't her child. She called us one day and told us that we need to learn to use the magic words that it will help us every time. She first of all sang the song for us and the song goes like this:
there are five magic words x2
There are five magic words that I know
Please, excuse me, sorry, thank you and the
Last one pardon me
She set an example for us by always using these words, she didn't mind that she was our mother. She said to us when you want someone to help you to do something you say please. When someone does something for you, you say thank you. When you want to pass and someone is on the road you say excuse me. When you offend someone you say sorry or pardon me.
I remember when one of my brother felt he was too big to tell our younger sister please when he wanted her to assist him, my mom called him and squeezed his ear and asked him to always use the magic words. In his defense he said he was older than her that why should he use the magic words. My mom made him understand that no matter how big someone is, he or she is not bigger than the magic words. It goes a long way to use the words.
These her teaching has really helped me a lot, I remember different times that the magic words has helped me on several occasions. I also use it while talking to my children or my neighbors, I am also teaching my children to use it too, which they are.
It pisses me off when someone asks for something without using those words, to me the person feels he is too big. I remember telling one of my neighbors to use these words and she asked why? I said because it's the right thing to do and she said shebi she is older than them, that why should she use it. I kept trying to make her understand that it's only right to use it but she was adamant, instead she just used it to make joke and left. There was nothing I could about it, as long as my family learn it and also other people learn it from me, I don't mind.
I also use these words while teaching in school and the children are learning from it. Sometimes some of them asks for something without using the magic words and others will correct him or her. I am always happy each time I see them correcting or using these words.
**all images are mine. **
