Power of a hand written thank you note

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it

William Arthur Ward

Recently I received a hand written thank you note. Not for any special occasion, but a simple thank you for something that I considered a rather small gesture for someone I care about. I have been reflecting on the power and simplicity of this generous and touching action.

How often do we let people in our lives know when we are thankful for something they have done for us?

And how rare is it to receive an actual handwritten thank you note in the mail delivered by a postman.

There have been trends where we are encouraged to be thankful for what we have in our lives. Like spending time to write three things we are grateful for in our journal. Or to meditate on the things we are thankful for in our lives. Sort of a self-help version of this concept yet no one would ever know about it except for us.

So I decided to pay it forward and wrote a note of appreciation to someone I care about for a small thing that I found meaningful. It felt great to do it and I learned after it was received, that person felt an emotional boost just by opening the envelope and reading the note.

I wonder how we have come to a place where this simple action that could deliver so much is not something we “do” anymore. I can’t help but wonder if our lives could be just the smallest bit better if we took the time to let those we care about know how grateful we are for even the smallest of things that they do.

Try it and see what happens!

Stay safe and healthy!