Thank You Cards
January 11, 2021
In our pursuit to live a more joyful, fulfilling life, we have found that gratitude is imperative. Practicing gratitude shifts our focus from feeling like we are lacking, missing something, looking for something, to being comforted by and grateful for the gifts we already possess. This is not a perspective that we are born with, taught, or frankly is fostered. That is why for us it has become a practice. Something we put effort toward and intentionally focus on to build the gratitude muscle. Gratitude can be practiced in all sorts of ways from journaling to meditation but one of the number one ways we practice gratitude is with the seemingly innocuous Thank You card.
For most of us, thank you cards at his point in our lives have become obsolete. With our phones by our sides, how can any of us be blamed for adopting a quick “Thank You” text for almost any occasion. Of course don’t let me be a hypocrite, I am well accustomed with sending text messages for almost anything and am grateful every day for this incredible form of communication. Despite this we must not forsake the Thank You card. It is devastating to think that the Thank You card has been relegated to kid’s birth day parties and bridal showers filled out with mechanical precision after your maid of honor dutifully takes notes as your opening presents. Although these are acceptable practices they don’t fully encompass the magic that can be done with this small folded up piece of paper.
Thank You cards seem to serve both the giver and the receiver. For the giver of the thank you card, it is an intentional practice. To sit down with a card you have picked out and pen your thoughts about gratitude for another, is a powerful step toward living a grateful life. For the receiver, it is an unexpected moment of joy, a diversion from your day to day life, and validation of your connection with another. This is why we think Thank You cards should be given as often as possible. You don’t have to just give a Thank You card when you receive a gift and in fact, please don’t feel responsible to always give Thank You cards any time you are given something. The purpose of these cards are not to eliminate guilt for a receiving, or attempting to equalize some sort of perceived payment. In these cases they are discouraged.
If an occasion should come up that you feel inspired to give a Thank You card, don’t hesitate and just do it! We recommend keeping a couple or in our case a small host of Thank You cards around for just such occasion. Pick Thank You cards that inspire you, that fill you with joy just looking at them because we guarantee this will pass on to the recipient. If you can’t afford traditional Thank You cards from the store, we have been known to make our own, use note cards, or recycle old scraps of paper such as outdated calendar art. Anything works for a Thank You card because the magic is in the message. Thank you cards can be done in an elaborate fashion if you would like by using a calligraphy pen, colored ink, or including small gestures such as a sticker, dried flower, or some glitter into the card you send. I have found that no matter how simple or elaborate the card ends up being, the effect is not lost on the recipient.
We also recommend writing them for any occasion your heart desires. We have written Thank You cards for small gestures, grand occasions, or someone just being a reliable friend. I have written extensive Thank You cards just following inspiring conversations. The key to writing a good Thank You card is to be honest. Don’t try to force what you are writing and write from your heart. It sounds silly but it can be hard. When sitting down to write it, just try to remember what you are actually thankful for and put that down to paper. Length is also not critical here. If your message needs to be as simple as “Thank you for being an amazing friend” that is enough. Don’t let the pressure of writing a soliloquy stop you. Simple can be spectacular.
For most of us many of the Thank You cards that you will end up writing go to friends, coworkers, or family members who you see on a regular basis. This is not the case for our entire network with many of us being separated from our friends and family by thousands of miles. We are lucky enough for a small fee to be able to send your card wherever it needs to go. I have made it a practice to have a set of stamps in my house and keep my contact list on my phone well updated with anyone who is comfortable with allowing me to have their address. Then I am usually a couple days and $0.55 away from passing on a little joy and brightening someone’s day. Sometimes I send Thank You cards to friends who I see frequently just so that they get something surprising in the mail.
Although we are not saying that Thank You cards are going to heal all ills or bring peace to the world but we are fairly certain that both the giver and the receiver of the Thank You card will begin to see the world a little differently. It is a simple way that we can expend some effort on the people we love and show them that they are valued, appreciated, and meaningful to our lives. It is so easy to focus on the difficult things, or how we have been wronged but the Thank You card can remind us that there are people worth being thankful for, gifts aren’t always just presents, and that kindness is priceless. We couldn’t ask for more from less.