Before I jump into this week’s task, I want to sincerely thank all of you readers and welcome the new folks who have tuned in to share my journey and explore your own. Your time, energy and encouragement are so appreciated – you have no idea how much this adds to my life! And some exciting news: today you have helped me surpass (by a long shot) my all-time highest number of views in one day!! So thank you, thank you, thank you! It thrills me to no end to be meeting such awesome people “out there” through your comments (here and on facebook), private messages, and tweets. So much to be thankful for!
To the folks just tuning in, every Tuesday I suggest a little task (ok, sometimes they are medium to large sized tasks!) that encourage you to explore different areas of your life. They serve to move energy around, allow for self-discovery, prompt creative release…and sometimes they’re there just to make you smile and do something fun! The links to all of the Tuesday Tasks can be found here for easy reference.
And now, without further ado, here’s today’s!
Is there someone who deserves your gratitude? Maybe there’s someone from your past who made a difference to you at one point in your life, or who did something small but generous for you a long time ago. Maybe there’s someone you speak to every day but who doesn’t know how much or why you appreciate them. Send them a note in the mail! I know it’s not the fastest way to deliver a message, but isn’t it exciting to get something in the mail that is NOT a bill, a leaflet about gutter cleaning or a public hearing notice? I think so! On the rare occasion something fun finds its way to my mailbox, it is the last piece of mail I open – kind of like saving the cheesiest bite for last (because it’s the best!).
I wrote a thank you letter a couple of years ago to an English teacher I had in junior high school. In a way, she was my first friend in junior high, as utterly nerdy as that sounds. Anyway, I still have that letter; I gave up trying to locate her. I think I should try again. It shouldn’t be THAT hard to find someone in this day and age, right?
Whoever you choose to write to, you’re going to make them feel really great. By the way, there’s no limit to the number of thank you’s you can send out. Consider trying to reach out to someone regularly. I keep a box of stationary cards on my desk so that I have easy access to one when I think of someone I haven’t chatted with in awhile. In 10 minutes I can write out a paragraph to say hello, address it and stamp it – ready to send on its way to someone else’s mailbox where it can rest among a pile of bills, waiting to be discovered!
Have fun!
I usually try to send a handwritten thank you note when friends invite me over for a dinner! I think it’s a nice touch.
I also firmly believe in sending handwritten holiday cards – it’s so much more personal that way!
…. but sending someone a letter out of the blue. Love it!
Yes, it’s super fun when it’s least expected – for both parties! Handwriting anything seems to be almost obsolete these days. I have to admit, my penmanship has deteriorated over the years of computer use! Thanks for the comment!
Great advice. I must be from a long gone era, because I always send thank you notes. I send thank you notes thanking people for thank you notes sometimes! 😉 My children sit down right after birthdays and Christmas and we all do them. When they are young, I have them draw a picture and write their name. As they get older, they gradually write more. I love it!
So thank you for putting this post out there. There’s nothing like getting a thank you in the mail, and I hope your readers sent many of them thanks to this post!
Hi Tia,
Thanks for stopping by! That’s great that you have given thank you notes a place of value in your family. I have to admit – I have sent many thank you’s by email in the past couple of years…though I try to keep them cute by at least sending them in an e-card 🙂 I think my daughter would enjoy making personal cards now and I think we’ll make the switch. Let’s revive this art – one hand-written note at a time 🙂
I’d like to see more thank you notes landing in mailboxes for all kinds of things “Thank you for being my first friend at my new school when no one else would look at me”, or “Thanks for picking me up the other day when you saw me standing at the bus stop getting drenched in the downpour”. Even “You always have a smile for me when you see me” kind of thing. Random thanks on a random day, appreciation for the smallest things that may otherwise seem to go unnoticed.
It would be fun to hear from readers who sent something in the mail after reading this!