On Thanksgiving morning, I was lucky enough to be the recipient of words of gratitude for a kindness I never even realized I gave. It was a humbling experience. And it reminded me again of how important our actions can be – especially the ones we don’t think about.
So I decided that in the spirit of Thanksgiving, my awesome challenge would be to write letters of thanks to a couple of people who I never formally thanked … for things they were likely not aware that they did. Or that they never realized had such an impact on my life.
I sent out two letters: one to a friend who guided me through a particularly rough patch in my personal life, and the second to another friend who helped me navigate a rough patch in the life of someone I love.
The response I received from the second letter was one of complete astonishment. Like my experience earlier in the day, my friend had no idea that what she had shared with me had had such a positive effect. I could practically see her smile through her email, and the next morning I was lucky enough to see her in person and got to share a heartfelt hug.
Both instances – my thanking and my being thanked – took only moments, but their impact continued for days. How easy it is to say thank you … and how seldom it is done! We are taught to thank God on Thanksgiving, and that of course is good. But I believe it is just as important to thank the people who reflect God’s love in our lives.
Just because Thanksgiving is over, giving thanks doesn’t have to be. I challenge you to take five minutes. Make a phone call. Send an email. Thank somebody. Someday you may just thank me for it.
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