a twenty-twelve gratitude practice.
Let me get a few disclaimers out of the way…
1. This is not an original idea. It has been promoted all over the interwebs, by bloggers more notable than I.
2. I realize that there is something a bit cliched about a gratitude practice in November.
3. My incredible friends have done variations of this theme already (see Barb, circa 2010 and Em)
4. I am wicked ambitious when I start something….not so ambitious with the finishing.
Okay…ready? I've decided that a gratitude practice is in order for the month of November. I pondered several variations on the theme (and gave serious thought to just eating pumpkin pie everyday while feeling grateful) and settled on this:
Every day in November, I will *mail a thank you card to someone.
I don't have any tragic childhood memories of being forced to write out thank you cards. I know all the Emily Post rules around what is polite & appropriate. Still…I suck at written thank yous. I've been reprimanded (more than once) for not sending thank-yous in a prescribed amount of time and/or not making my kids send thank-yous in a prescribed amount of time. I/my kids always/often EXPRESS my thanks – just not always in writing.
So. For the month of November, I am going to make a conscious, daily practice of sending out thank you cards. I do reserve the right to resort to *email in the event that it's the ONLY way to keep up with that day's thank you. I also reserve the right to buy thank you cards (gasp!!) if making them proves to be prohibitive.
Wish me luck (or better yet…play along!)….
10 Comments
AngieOh
I think this is great. I love thank you notes and getting mail that is not bills – I did the 52 weeks of real mail challenge and loved it. 🙂
have fun!
Lee Currie
What a lovely idea, Katrina! I’d wish you the best of luck but you won’t need it, everything was covered in your disclaimers 🙂 Well done! Someday I want to do a project between the Canadian and American Thanksgiving. Hmm. Something to ponder for next October!
Steph H
I’m terrible at written thank yous. Thank you calls, and emails, yes. I can even write out the cards. It is the mailing I seem to miss out on.
Also, Target has lovely thank yous!
Elizabeth
I am so on board, I am horrible with the thank you cards. How do you plan to select who will receive a card? I have so many thank you cards, simply because they are so cute and always on sale.
Jen Tapler
I think this is a fabulous idea! I make SO MANY cards and am terrible about mailing them. It’s so nice to get mail and I know how good it feels to be appreciated. There are definitely plenty of people in my life I could show a bit of gratitude this month. I think I’ll give this a try! Thanks!! 🙂
Katrina Simeck
xoxo
Katrina Simeck
oh, that’s a great idea to bridge the gap between our thanksgivings!
Katrina Simeck
i wish that i had a target. 🙁
Katrina Simeck
I made a list – really just thought about people that have been kind, supportive, helpful to me. I really want to thank people for the “little things” that make my life happier.
Katrina Simeck
Awesome Jen!!