I was just in receipt of a wedding gift "thank you" from a young couple who got married last summer and they had finally got around to sending their handwritten card. I opened it with anticipation as I love the new bride, am close friends with her mother, threw her bridal shower and have known her since childhood. What I received was literally a two line thank you that essentially said, "Thank you both for your generosity and for coming to our wedding."....well, ummm...I didn't actually get to the wedding and it wasn't that large...and clearly they did not know what gift I had given them. The writing space on the card was 3/4 empty. The card made it into the trash as quickly as the junk mail. Sadly. Now, I'm telling this story because not because I specifically cared about receiving a thank you card- but because John's post was chatting about how it makes one FEEL. I was an obligation (let's get the card DONE) and I'm sure those two lines were on every card that was sent. It was not sincere and I literally dreaded her mother asking me about the card. Sometimes, if you don't write with sincerity and thought, it truly is better to not write at all. I still love the gal and her hubby....clearly! However, I really love to save photos and notes from those who show caring and love, and have given TIME to show me I matter to them. Sincerity MATTERS!

If you wrote or recommended a book on the call can you link it below. I wanted to check them out and add to my reading list. Thanks for sharing!

I've taken on this challenge with my own approach. Instead of writing thank you cards, I've been working on my daily attitude and outlook on my interaction with others. I strive to look at interactions and situations in a more gratuitous light. I've done this especially with people that I've newly met. I participated in a workshop yesterday with this approach and in less than an hour the five of us that attended became fast friends looking forward to seeing each other at the next event. The experience truly made my day and reminded me that we often all want the same thing: positive human connection that makes us feel good and reminds us that we matter.

September 21st 2022. Two and a half months earlier, I had just gotten married and moved into a new home and now I was climbing into bed for the night thinking about the next day.... wake up at 4:30, go to gym, daily devotional, meditation time, work, lunch, work, dinner, time with family, repeat... In the early morning hours, I fell out of bed and was struggling to get back up and my new bride was like, "what are you doing, get back into bed". She turned on the light to see that I was trying to pull myself up with my right arm and that the left side of my face didn't look normal. I had complete left side neglect and was incoherent, a sure sign of a massive stroke. ....A 911 call, an ambulance ride and emergency thrombectomy to remove the clot from my brain... that is how September 22nd actually went down... After a couple of days in ICU, I had a pretty miraculous recovery. All motor skills seemingly returned to normal. I didn't walk away unscathed as there have been some lingering emotional/psychological effects, but I am so very fortunate and blessed to simply be here today. Had this happened a few months earlier, most likely I would have been alone in my bed and who knows what the end result would have been. My wife, her quick call, the paramedics, the fact that one of the best medical facilities that actually performs the emergency procedure I needed was within minutes, the doctors, nurses, medical staff, friends, family and God.... the list of things to be thankful for goes on and on and I am not sure I will ever be able to express my gratitude to the extent with which I truly feel it. I just celebrated my 56th birthday and will soon celebrate my 4th anniversary with my lovely bride. September 22nd, 2022 went nothing like I planned but it certainly sparked an awareness within me that gratitude is important but gratitude NOW while the opportunity exists is even more so. Don't let the opportunity to let others know you appreciate them pass by because you never know....