EXPRESSING THANKS THROUGH THE HAND-WRITTEN NOTE

At the crack of dawn, I found my husband catching up on emails in our home office.  He inspired me to clean out my side of the office, and to wrap up all kinds of loose ends.   I love the satisfaction that comes from doing this.  Also love how I always get fresh ideas during the process, and often come across office and art supplies that motivate me to take some kind of creative action.

This time around, I came across a bunch of thank you notecards.  It made me think about the fact that it's Thanksgiving time.  So there's this holiday with a kind of built-in reminder to be thankful for all that we have in our lives.

I do definitely like giving thanks out loud , verbally, in front of others.  And I also think that it's very powerful to put pen to paper when it comes to giving thanks.

So, this morning, I started to think about who I'd like to express thanks to with my note cards.

One person is my podiatrist, who referred me to a fantastic physical therapy venue that is filled with thoughtful people, a beautiful fish tank, and an adorable dog named Norman.  So I wrote a brief thank you to that podiatrist and will pop it in the mail today.

Now, I'm thinking of a few other people to whom I'd like to send a note. 

Here's a practical tip when it comes to writing thank-yous:  Make it easy and simple by having your supplies on hand.  Buy a box or two of thank you notes - ones that match your personality.  Invest in some return address labels (inexpensive to get on the Internet) and buy a sheet of your favorite postage stamps so you have plenty of those around as well.  Keep all this stuff handy, in one box, tray or folder.  That way, when you get the urge to thank, everything is right at your fingertips.

Trust me: In the age of electronic communication, your note will stand out.  People are more likely to keep a hand-written thank you longer than an email thank you.  And it's important to actually let people know how we feel, not just keep it a private thought in our heads.

So who in your life would you like to thank with a note?  Who has thanked you in this manner, and what impression did it leave with you?

SIMPLE PLEASURE #4: HAND-WRITTEN THANK YOU NOTES

When I was growing up, I loved going to get the mail from the mailbox and helping my mom go through it all. Best of all was getting envelopes personally addressed to ME! Nothing was better than party invitations or letters or birthday cards from grandparents, camp friends, or pen pals addressed to Eleanor Traubman.

I still love coming home to hand-addressed envelopes. The other day, I came home to this pretty gold-embossed thank you note from my dear friend Ceclia Andre.

I keep a little stack of thank-you notes on my desk so I can dash one off at any moment. It makes a big difference to people to let them know in this tangible, heart-felt way that their actions and gestures carry significance.

THE MAGIC OF MAIL

FOR 41
CENTS
YOU CAN:

• let your mom know that you love her


• thank someone who refers customers, clients, or patients to you


• express gratitude to a mentor who has given you good advice


• tell your aunt what a good friend she has been to you


• send your nephew a news article about something he is interested in


• let your brother know what you've been up to


• send someone an apology


• comfort someone who is sick or who has lost a loved one


• send some cool stickers to a young person


• send some photos to your grandparents


• send a check to pay a bill


• share a poem you've written


• send money to an organization or person who has inspired you (a twist on tithing)


• MAKE SOMEONE'S DAY!
  

To order stamps via internet, click here!