My Great Gratitude Experiment/Experience

November is the month of Thanksgiving in the grand old US of A. In the Facebook world, this means many people are daily giving thanks for different people and things in their lives. I love seeing those posts and reading about the wide variety of blessings and joys people experience. Some people even post about difficulties that have become blessings, and reading that kind of post lifts my spirits. In the preschool world, we are teaching about being courteous and grateful. I love hearing about the things (quite often toys) and people (mostly mommy and daddy, grandpa and grandma) for which the children are thankful. Their expressions of gratitude warm my heart.  I will confess that some are hilarious as well, which warms my heart even further. November, even and possibly especially this November of transition and turmoil in our country, is an amazing month, filled with expressions of gratitude from so many sources.

With all of these expressions of gratitude in mind, I wondered what I might do to express my thankfulness this year. I decided that I wanted to write little notes expressing my gratitude to the amazing people that I have in my life. Rather than just thinking about how wonderful they all were, I wanted to let them know what I was thinking. My great gratitude experiment began as November began. I started writing notes in no particular order, many to coworkers, and a few to family members. Most have been hand-written notes, but a few messages were delivered through email or via a Facebook message. I have written notes almost every day; as of late, I have found myself writing more than one per day. I still have many people on my list. I can’t possibly be done by the end of November.  The really odd thing, to me, is that after writing somewhere around 25 notes, I am feeling more compelled to write them rather than less compelled. I seem to be accelerating, looking and thinking hard about who else could get a note. I have even expanded beyond my circle of friends and gave a note to a complete stranger yesterday, a nurse who helped my mother-in-law. God is filling me up with gratitude and love, helping me focus outward. I keep little notes with me all the time, so I can express my gratitude right when it hits me.

My experiment has been good for my soul. Not everyone is a note-writer, but everyone knows how to say thank you. I encourage you to say thank you to those you love, and to add a reason for your thanks. “I am thankful for your kindness.” “I am thankful for your persistence.” “I am thankful for your love in all circumstances.” “I am thankful for your attention to detail.” A single-line note, or just a spoken word of appreciation, can mean so much.  On top of that, when you are looking for the good in the world, you start seeing it EVERYWHERE! Gratitude can change you, as it has changed me. If you are in need of a boost to help you  get started, here is a picture of a business card sized thank you notes you can print and start handing out. (I have a PDF or a Publisher file of a page of 10 business cards with this design, which I will send to you upon request.) I encourage you to try the gratitude experiment with me by writing something personal on these cards as you hand them out. I left plenty of room for a single-line note.

Oh, and happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful that you took the time to read my blog. Know that you are loved and appreciated for who you are, today and always.