Noteworthy Thoughts on National Thank You Day

Noteworthy Thoughts on National Thank You Day

When was the last time you said, “Thank You?”

Think about it for a second. Was it when the barista at your local coffee shop handed you your lunch-break latte this afternoon? Or when your  significant took out the trash last night, just because they know you hate it, and the sofa was just so warm? Was it Monday, after a co-worker had gone the extra mile to make sure you had a copy of a report you needed?

Or has it been longer than that?

We all get caught up in the everyday business of life that we forget to be mindful of living. It’s so easy in our hyper-speed world to forget the small moments of connection that define what it is to be human, including the moments when we can express gratitude for things both great and small.

Today is National Thank You Day, the perfect opportunity to pause and express your gratitude for the people in your life. While an email is nice, and a phone call is fine, take five minutes and go the extra length with a hand-written note. It doesn’t have to involve expensive stationery and a fountain pen; even a sheet of binder paper and a pencil will do the trick.

The beauty of a handwritten note is that it’s a tangible and personal expression of your appreciation. It signifies that you took the time to focus solely on them, that you cared enough for the recipient to create something meant only for their eyes. They say that letter-writing a lost art, and like any artist, you are creating something that will last, both on a piece paper and in a person’s memory.

Generations before mine saved love letters and other notes by stacking them neatly and tying them together with blue ribbon. I somehow doubt that years from now, when my grandchildren are going through my effects, a pile of printed out emails and text messages will hold the same allure, no matter what ribbon I use to bind them.

They say a person’s handwriting reveals secrets about their personality in a way that a text message or tweet never could. Whether chicken scratch or elegant script, your handwriting will hold allure for the reader, because it is an extension of yourself. No matter how many emoticons and “LOLs” you sprinkle throughout a digital message, the level of personal investment just isn’t the same. It’s a risky proposition, letter writing. You lay it out on the line.

So start small. Start with a written thank-you note for a great cup of coffee, an extra five minutes on the sofa, a job well done. It doesn’t have to be long, it just has to say thank you. It’s only just past 2:00 in California, barely 5:00 back east. You still have plenty of time.