A parable about gratitude... Still, She Shines In a quiet village between the mountains and the plains, an unassuming young woman served her community with quiet consistency. She mended clothes for neighbors who couldn’t afford new ones. She prepared and delivered meals to those recovering from illness. She watched over children when parents needed a break or had to work late. She didn’t keep score—she just tried to help wherever help was needed. Most of the time, she was content knowing she was making a difference—whether or not anyone said it out loud. But lately, a question had crept in. Not because people were unkind or ungrateful—just distracted, busy, going through their days. The smiles had faded. The thank-yous had thinned. And she found herself wondering: Does this really matter? One evening, feeling off-center and unsure, she stood at the edge of the village path, hesitating. Her grandmother’s cottage wasn’t far—just a short walk through the trees—but tonight, even that felt like a quiet admission: something inside her needed steadying. She almost turned back - told herself she was fine and didn’t need to bother anyone with something so small or vague. But something in her chest tugged forward. And so, with a soft exhale, she began walking the winding path to her grandmother’s cottage on the edge of the village. They sat by the fire, wrapped in a silence that didn’t feel empty. After a while, the young woman spoke. “I’ve been doing what I always do. But lately… I’m not sure if anyone notices. Or if it even matters.” Her grandmother stirred the fire, then nodded toward the window, where the last light stretched across the hills. “What gives warmth, helps things grow, and shows up every day—even when most people don’t stop to appreciate it?” The young woman followed her gaze. “The sun.” Her grandmother smiled. “Exactly. Rarely do people stop and appreciate the sun. But we count on it. The sun doesn’t shine for applause. The sun shines because that’s what the sun does. And because people know you, and they know your heart, they’ve come to count on you in the same way—because your nature is to

My amazing hairdresser has listened for years to all my crazy stories and we have become good friends. She has been gone on maternity leave for a few months and I have realized how much I miss her easy conversation and her easy skill with my hair. It is easy to come up with a baby gift for someone who has just had a baby but when I truly thought about her and remembered being a new mom, I wanted to thank her for making me beautiful but I also wanted her to feel beautiful. As a new mom you often don’t take time to make yourself beautiful or even take a moment to take a shower or comb your hair. For the first time in your life, you feel completely overwhelmed and out of your element, so completely inadequate. So instead of a baby gift, I wrote a gratitude card. I thanked her for her skill and her attention to detail. I thanked her for being such great listener and storyteller. I thanked her for making me feel beautiful. I encouraged her to take care of herself at least once a day. Do one thing that makes her feel good. I included a gift card to Ulta so that she could buy something to make her feel beautiful and sent it off. I hope it comes at the exact moment she needs it. With Mother’s Day coming up, I am going to focus on the mom’s in my life that make me try to be a better mom and I am going to find meaningful ways to thank them for giving everything of themselves to grow and shape amazing children.

My fam got to come to a speech this week and my daughter Holladay wrote the best card I’ve received all year 😭

Sunday was a particular hard day for me…like the whole day. One of those, eat ice cream in the kitchen by yourself kind of days. Family strife was heavy. By the end of the day I was able to have the conversation I needed to with the individual I was in conflict with. We resolved the issue and are restored in relationship. I almost didn’t want to share this because, you know…being Mr. Thank You and all. But one thing this project taught me, if there is a relationship I DON’T want to be grateful for, that probably means a conversation is over due. No I didn’t write this person a thank you card, but I will after the dust settles. My note on Sunday was to God. I left this conversation with gratitude. Me and this individual were able to build a stronger relationship because of this struggle. That’s often how I see God work in my life. A cornerstone piece of my gratitude is the belief that 1) God is good 2) God is sovereign (rules over everything) 3) God does not make mistakes The moment might suck, but as @Leslie Bergen said in an earlier post…sometimes you just need to embrace the suck. When I accept those three points as true, all experiences are in some way inherently meaningful and tied to a bigger picture. Strife is the precursor to unity. Anger leads to love. Fear turns into courage.

Today I wrote to my neighbor. Our kids were having a lemonade stand on our country road on a Saturday...only four customers bought over 3 hours. My wife and I were 2 of them. One of them was a neighbor who is very sweet that we haven't had time with. She asked how much the kids were raising ($200 for a new boat motor). She appreciated they were out on a hot day, and offered them $200 to build her a chicken coop. They brought over the supplies, and while at our house, the husband shared about the cities plans to build near our property. They had private access (due to one of their jobs) and showed exactly the dividing lines where the city was building up to. This was invaluable info for us to plan the expansion of our little farm. Then they invited the kids over to fish on their pond. I know these are very random details, but they were huge deposits into our families bucket. Living in the country we've made some connections, but many drifted off since we don't cross paths often. It just reminds me that relationships that stay in existence are based in continual support. Asking for favors, offering help, inviting people over. They are initiated, activated, and fortified through continuous effort. A great reminder of something I can get better at. So...that's who I got my card out to today.