I could quite possibly be the most frustrated “thank you card writer” in the world. I am the worst! It is uncertain what my handicap is because I am an overwhelmingly thankful person by nature and therein lays the ever so antagonizing irony! For every 2 thank you cards I actually write and send there are 3 or 4 torn up in the trash because my handwriting was questionable or misspelled a word or two. I also get frustrated that I can not articulate with exactness the gratitude in which I feel, so I give up. I have never had great print and am not a strong speller. Recently I have learned a few things about handwriting and one of the issues I know presents itself to me is the pressure in which I write. Deep (pen) pressure represents deep emotion, which consequently hurts my hand and also invites sloppiness; it is a wonder I have been able to be such a avid journaler. So all things considered those might be the missing links in the unfortunate long chain of intended and most certainly sincere unsent “Thank You’s”. My apologies.
The Challenge this week I have self titled “The Thank You Experiment”. I invite all you to play along too. Everyday this week I will write a thank you card for every member of my family (of course include husband) and discreetly place it under their pillow, in back pack, in lunch box, on car seat etc. without them seeing and with no expectation for a response. I am curious to see how this will affect the emotional temperature of our home and more importantly me. I wonder if I will notice a change of expression in my children or a shift in their tone towards each other. I wonder how many random wonderful things they all do that I have been inattentive and ignorant to? I wonder, just wonder how my attitude will change about my family and if I will be able to appreciate their preciousness more than I already do. I am certain we do not spend nearly enough time saying thank you especially to those we love. Anyway, here goes day one. Hypothesis = I think my lens on life is about to change.
"Ours is the responsibility to show our gratitude by the actions of our lives."
--Thomas S. Monson, "Gifts", Ensign, May 1993, 59
3 comments:
What a GREAT idea! I love it.
(Btw, I know it's preferable to send a tangible thank you note, but have you thought about trying free e-cards-- like smilebox.com-- to send your heartfelt expressions of thanks to others? Just a thought!)
love love love this idea! I am all in! Thanks for sharing!
jEN, i HADN'T READ THIS WHEN WE CAME. but you mentioned what you really learned (unexpectedly) from it; and that was profound really. I am one who likes to write lots of thank you notes and i even have a big box of them (packed at the moment). sometimes, what thwarts me is how busy we are and time passes. i miss a birthday (or 5 over spring break) and i love to send birthday cards. i know i missed yours! :( I do totally agree with you that expressing gratitude leads to great love, peace, and blessings. Gratitude is the key to humility and that is the key to obedience. When we know how blessed we are, we become humble, very; then we have a stronger desire to be obedient; then we receive blessings and revelations; then we feel great gratitude again and the cycle keeps on going. if we let ourselves simply slow down enough to notice our blessings, share our gratitude and let it sink in. then we keep the cycle of righteousness and happiness moving forward. I love and appreciate what you write on your blog. i have a goal to read my family's blogs weekly and comment and share the love. xoxo
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