Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a

William Arthur Ward, a sage of practical wisdom, left us this vivid image: “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” In these words, he teaches that gratitude, though born within, fulfills its purpose only when shared. To feel thanks but remain silent is to withhold a gift meant to bless another. It is a kindness half-born, a treasure hidden away. True gratitude must move from heart to tongue, from inward thought to outward action, or else it remains incomplete.

The present is the perfect symbol for gratitude. A gift, no matter how beautiful, if locked away and never offered, brings joy to no one. In the same way, unspoken gratitude blesses neither giver nor receiver. The one who feels thanks but does not share it robs himself of the deep joy of acknowledgment and robs the benefactor of the honor due to them. Gratitude, unexpressed, withers like a flower that never blooms.

The ancients, too, recognized this truth. Cicero declared that gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others—yet what is virtue if it remains unseen? The psalmists sang their thanksgiving aloud, turning private joy into public praise. In every age, people have known that thanksgiving must be spoken, sung, or shown, lest it vanish into silence and be forgotten. Ward’s metaphor of the wrapped but ungiven gift is but a modern echo of this timeless truth.

History offers us shining examples. Consider President Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Lydia Bixby, a widow said to have lost five sons in the Civil War. Though he did not know her personally, he expressed the nation’s gratitude in words of deep compassion. Whether or not every detail of her story was accurate, his expressed thanks became a balm for countless grieving families, reminding them that their sacrifices were not unseen. His letter was the present—his gratitude, wrapped in words, given to comfort the brokenhearted.

By contrast, many kindnesses are forgotten because thanks was never spoken. How many parents labor in silence, how many teachers give their lives for students, how many friends stand faithfully in the shadows—yet never hear the words “thank you”? In such silence, relationships weaken, and good deeds go unacknowledged. The gift of gratitude remains wrapped, never placed in the hands of the one who deserves it.

The lesson for us is clear: gratitude must be expressed, not merely felt. Speak thanks to those who bless you—whether through a word, a letter, or a gesture. Do not wait for grand occasions; give thanks in the moment, lest it slip away. Let gratitude become the habit of your tongue and the rhythm of your days. In doing so, you strengthen bonds, honor sacrifices, and multiply joy both for yourself and for others.

Practically, begin with small acts. Write a note of thanks to a mentor, send a message of appreciation to a friend, or speak words of gratitude aloud to family. Keep no gratitude hidden, for unexpressed thanks is like buried treasure. Make your life a continual offering of gifts—gifts of spoken honor, written praise, heartfelt acknowledgment.

Thus, Ward’s words endure as a reminder and a summons: to feel gratitude but never express it is to miss the very purpose of the gift. Better to unwrap it, to place it in the hands of another, and to let the world be brightened by your thanksgiving. For gratitude given is like light released, illuminating not only the one who receives it, but also the one who gives.