in recognition of thanksgiving

topic number twelve: a note of thanks

A simple note of thanks. This can be the best gift, the best reward, the best high and sometimes in today's world, the best surprise. Being me, too often than not, I have worried about whether a gift sent was ever received or if a dinner or deed even appreciated. No thank you note, no telephone call, no email, no text can also send a message! Thus, a handwritten note of thanks is more than just an acknowledgment. I can not think of anything so simple, so timeless, that uniquely contributes to humanity the way a thank you card does. Need I say more? AH...but I do.

All that is needed--a clean piece of paper with envelope and stamp, a pen and 10 minutes of focused thought, right? So why is it so difficult for some of us to do? Putting aside any clear physical or psychological ills, I suspect that it has to do with the experience of writing itself. As children, the writing process was sometimes linked to time-sensitive school assignments often equating pressure not pleasure. This is most regrettable. As adults, I think it is actually related to the products themselves. Do your note cards and pen call to you like your computer and keyboard? Most likely not. For some, the thought of sitting down to write a short note causes a certain amount of anxiety. Also, most regrettable. With these reasons in mind, here are a few tips for making note writing a preferential choice above a chore-

a. Buy better papers, creative cards and/or stationery-styles you yourself would like to receive. Purchase not one, but several favorites to have on hand at all times.

b. Find "the" pen to write with. This does not mean making do with what is sitting at your desk and mostly out of ink. An excursion to a stationery supply store is warranted here. Personally, I like using Pilot's Razor Point Gel Ink Pen with an extra fine tip.(black ink only)

c. Make sure that you have both a dictionary and thesaurus at arm's reach.(dictionary.com and thesaurus.com are also great resources.)

d. Use scratch paper or your computer word program to compose your note before it is placed in pen.

e. Think of your stationery and your pen as jewelry. Cherish it. Keep it in a clean, special place of honor.

f. Be intrepid! Write from the heart, write from the moment.

For me, the Thanksgiving holiday is about saying thank you, not turkey. So please know that I very much appreciate my blog readers-family, friends,acquaintances, strangers alike; whether you read and laugh or read and swear, thank you all!

a-p-p-r-e-c-i-a-t-e

Memories of the holidays and birthdays would not be a complete vision without the comings and goings on the "days after." Thanksgiving begets turkey sandwiches on small dinner rolls for days. Christmas includes the yearly untangling of the tree and removal of tasteful, well-placed decorations. New Year's Celebration is followed by resolutions. Gift-giving/receiving events are followed by thank you notes.


I never really objected to writing thank you notes. They are especially important in recognition for gifts that arrived from out of state--at least let the sender know you got it. My main problem as a young person was knowing what to say. It's not that I was not grateful. I just didn't know how to articulate this in written form. It seemed so formal and impersonal. But as I got older, I realized that thank you notes (and letters) are like an extended conversation. Yes, they are one sided, but they just take a bit of imagination.


I was never very good at spelling, so my mother made me memorize some standard words so I wouldn't burn through her nice, often expensive stationery. To this day, I still say each letter in "appreciate" when I write it like you do when you learn to spell "Mississippi." While this spelling problem was cleared up when I was little, sadly it wasn't until recently that I realized there is a difference between "Have a happy New Year's" and "Have a happy New Year." Oops.


Now, as a mail-deficient college student, getting a thank you note in my mailbox for a party invitation or unexpected help really brightens my day. I keep a box of stationery under my bed in order to pass on that sunshine right on down the line.