Recently my friend Kris Bordessa (author of a great book for parents and educators called "Team Challenges") posted a comment on Facebook that she felt like people underuse the two small words "thank you." That got me thinking about saying thank you. Full disclosure: I am not a big fan of thank you notes-- I grumpily think they waste trees and are sort of an insincere formality most of the time--but I do think feeling, acting, and expressing appreciation is really important.
So yesterday after my daughter's friend's mom sent her home from a nice playdate with a loaf of zucchini bread that we all enjoyed, we sat at the table together and wrote her a thank you note. The act of writing it collectively--and talking about kindness and gratitude--brought our family together and the girls both wrote nice notes of their own on the card.
Here's what Kris had to say when I emailed her to thank *HER* for inspiring us to say thank you:
I think it's a really good lesson for kids - and adults - to be appreciative, even of the little things. I get very grouchy when people ask me for favors and then can't even bother with a quick thank you. So, my FB comment was spurred by negative feelings, but it is something that I've taken to heart. I've even started sending thank you notes to businesses who have great employees. It's way too easy to simply complain when there's a problem, but I think it's nice to say the good stuff, too! With this economy, and all of the negativity in the world right now, I think a little good juju goes a long way.Thank you for reading this post.
3 comments:
That's great news about Kris! And I have to say, I am a big believer in thank-you notes, and I love to send them. (You can get recycled notes almost everywhere now.) I get cranky when I mail gifts to nieces and nephews, for instance, then wonder if they even received them, let alone appreciate what I sent. In any event, i think gratitude should be expressed as often as possible, in ways that are most comfortable for each individual.
After getting married I think I have written my fair share of thank you notes, with my wife, but it is always good to go ahead and write one so people will know you do appreciate the things they have done.
I must admit to wasting a tree or two in thank-you notes. I don't think I would write so many if it weren't for my friend Tara who sends lovely cards at the drop of a hat. And I like it. Although now I'm trying to make up for the lost trees by re-using cards I've received from other people and making my own from tree-free paper.
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