Ralph and Elsie Mosgrove had a long and loving life together of over 60 years of marriage. At the age of 77, Elsie suffered a traumatic fall, injuring her hip and spine. After surgery, for her remaining six years of her life, she was partially disabled, needing the aid of a walker and having limited mobility. It was during those years in which Ralph observed how people would, at times, show kindness by offering to help Elsie by opening doors, or carrying a package. As a corollary, some people would rush by, avoiding the timing of being confronted with acting generously or making an obvious act of kindness. Ralph Mosgrove describes this dichotomy of positive and negative energy as a ripple effect; when a rock is tossed into water the concentric ripples travel to the edge of the water, then return to the center. He states that good deeds are rewarded; negative thoughts and actions also have their consequences.

Ralph and Elsie each had their decades of their careers, and were looking forward to the “Golden years” of having more time and opportunities for their spiritual involvement with their church. Being a Pastor, Ralph was adept at bringing out subtle behavioral characteristics to the awareness of his congregation. In many ways, reading Saying Thanks and Beyond: Is Saying Thank You Enough? has the elements of a sermon. This rather short, 30 page book can be read in about the time one would expect a pastor to address his audience. He expands on the words, “Thank You” and circles around many various aspects of the root emotion. He explains in his life, thank you was instilled at a young age, and was a frequent expression he began to use respectively in many occasions. Other people, for example, have a “Military” type of way of saying thank you – suggesting at times they are saying it because it is appropriate and perhaps they really don’t feel it. It needs to come from your heart.

These are all interesting epiphanies of his realizations, as we each have our own thoughts on the use of saying thank you. Ralph Mosgrove goes on to make another interesting correlation of the characteristics of kindness, gentleness, and goodness. He expands on each, relating that goodness comes from kindness. These points I found to be very insightful and a good lesson to hear, especially if you concur with those points.

As a tribute to his late wife, Rev. Elsie Louise (Meyer) Mosgrove, Ralph Mosgrove has written his thoughts as, in a way, telling Elsie “Thank You” for all of the love and kindness she has brought into their relationship, and thusly his life. Perhaps his use of generalizations of the terms and conditions of other people’s good deeds are masking his personal desire to announce to the world his loss, love and appreciation he has over his lifetime of thanks to his love. In either case, Saying Thanks and Beyond is a comforting read and a book which can be shared or given as a gift, especially to someone who is suffering from a loss such as his.

Saying Thanks and Beyond is a refreshing reminder that kindness matters, and genuine goodness still exists in this world. The story is well done, filled with acts of unexpected generosity and grace that have stayed with the recipients throughout their lives. In today’s society where we equate connection with ever-increasing technology, it was nice to find a simple true story that illustrates what really matters. If you’re feeling tired, jaded or cynical, pick up this book. It’s truly a welcome respite.

Saying Thanks and Beyond

Ralph Mosgrove

Archway Publishing (Mar 30, 2017)

Softcover $9.99 (58pp)

978-1-4808-4352-3

When was the last time someone held a door for you? How did you react? In Saying Thanks and Beyond, author Ralph Mosgrove asks readers to consider taking their gratitude to new levels and creating more of it in others. It’s a very short book, but the message is welcome and cheering.

In crisp, straightforward prose, Mosgrove describes caring for his late wife after a fall restricted her to using a walker. With her slower pace and bulky wheels, he became acutely aware of who would hold a door or make space versus those who huffed if they felt crowded by her presence. Reflecting on this after her death, he suggests to readers, in his initial pages, that they slow down to allow time for kindness.

After that brief introduction, Mosgrove outlines ways to be kind in six chapters. For example, “Hands and Feet” suggests maintaining open and friendly body language. “It’s Better to Give Than Receive” advises leading with generosity instead of the expectation of gain.

His supporting examples can be simple and on-point, as with a woman who spies an older man struggling with heavy groceries and gently carries them to his car; others, less so —such as the story of a man who considers firing his incompetent chauffeur but instead pays for further training and buys a more comfortable car for the man. This seems to ask an awful lot of someone with an unqualified employee.

At just 37 pages—and with plentiful blank space between chapters—this is a brisk read indeed. More detail about Mosgrove’s married life, or even life after his wife’s passing, would have offered real-world examples of gratitude in action and given the book more heft.

That being said, Saying Thanks and Beyond is still an inspiring story that may provide just the boost someone needs on a down day.

Also available as an ebook.

Saying Thanks and Beyond

Ralph Mosgrove

Archway Publishing (Mar 30, 2017)

Softcover $9.99 (58pp)

978-1-4808-4352-3

Saying Thanks and Beyond is a book of Christian inspiration with a hopeful message for change.

Ralph Mosgrove’s Saying Thanks and Beyond is a thoughtful collection that expresses the need to develop the

discipline of gratitude. Six brief inspirational essays ask the question, “Is saying thank you enough?” The answer is that “thank you” is a good beginning, but that truly expressing gratitude requires something more than mere words.

The book considers issues such as how thankfulness can spread among people, the impact of words on others, and the importance of nonverbal communication. The book is short—just over fifty pages––and feels more like an article than it does a fully developed exploration of thankfulness as a Christian ideal.

The book’s writing is quietly engaging, pulling together anecdotes with simple Christian and biblical messages about the importance of caring for others and respecting their contributions. Much of the work is focused on the simple act of holding open a door for someone; particularly, how best to respond to that gesture.

The book argues that people are not naturally inclined to goodness, but that instead they need to work on it, engaging in self-denial, patience, and kindness. The book’s hope is that true gratitude can have a ripple effect: seeing gratitude in action, others would be inspired to make similar choices, and society as a whole would improve. Arguments are

convincing; the book will have readers nodding along to observations that our thoughts impact our quality of life, and that expressing gratitude helps to make the world a better place.

The work reflects a standard Christian theological understanding of human beings as flawed creatures living in a fallen world. It also speaks to biblical understanding of the power of the spoken word to bind things both in heaven and on earth. The book makes a convincing case that kindness is a learned activity, wherein each person’s goodness then becomes a reflection of God’s love and care. The book’s suggestion that people need to work at being kind seems especially profound in today’s challenging world.

The loosely linked essays all speak to the same concerns, but they do not otherwise flow together. The book’s central argument is only roughly sketched out. Each essay, except the last, gives space for “personal reflection” at its end, though no guidance is given for how this space should be used, and the formatting is not consistent.

While it compellingly argues for a careful consideration of contemporary gratitude, the book does not move much beyond this. It reads more as a strong beginning to a Christian text than it does like a complete freestanding work.

Saying Thanks and Beyond is a book of Christian inspiration with a hopeful message for change.

JEREMIAH ROOD (April 19, 2018)