Over eight years ago I started a new Thanksgiving tradition for myself. Each year I choose people in my life that I am feeling grateful to or for and send them a Thank You card. I write why I am thankful for them (it can be actions or attributes) and I always end the note with something like- “This Thanksgiving you are one of the blessings I am grateful for”.
Over the years I have seen the reactions to these notes change. In the beginning there were tears and gratitude was expressed. I heard things like “Wow, you usually have to wait until you’re dead to hear things like this.” Or “You have no idea how much I needed to hear these things right now.”
Then for awhile, there was no feedback. The notes seemed to embarrass the receivers and so no mention was made of them. I wasn’t doing it for the feedback so it didn’t really matter to me. I didn’t recognize it as a trend.
Because my notes last year just plain pissed the recipients off! I was caught off guard on that one. How could expressing thanks piss someone off? They were furious!
I still don’t truly understand it although others have tried to explain. I see it as a growing trend. There are more and more people that get angry at whatever happens - even when someone is trying to be nice. They suspect ulterior motives or condescending behavior or who knows what?
So here’s a clue for those who need one- some of us are really trying just to be nice! We answer to a higher power and walk in a different path. When we say thank you- we mean it. When we say we’re sorry- we mean it. When we say we love you- we mean it. When we say we forgive you- we mean it.
I am still keeping my tradition alive but the joy has gone out of it. What started as a way to uplift my fellow beings now leaves me with concern that I am causing pain and discomfort. I think it’s a sign of the times. If I was sending nasty letters people would be more comfortable. How sad is that?
That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?
Over the years I have seen the reactions to these notes change. In the beginning there were tears and gratitude was expressed. I heard things like “Wow, you usually have to wait until you’re dead to hear things like this.” Or “You have no idea how much I needed to hear these things right now.”
Then for awhile, there was no feedback. The notes seemed to embarrass the receivers and so no mention was made of them. I wasn’t doing it for the feedback so it didn’t really matter to me. I didn’t recognize it as a trend.
Because my notes last year just plain pissed the recipients off! I was caught off guard on that one. How could expressing thanks piss someone off? They were furious!
I still don’t truly understand it although others have tried to explain. I see it as a growing trend. There are more and more people that get angry at whatever happens - even when someone is trying to be nice. They suspect ulterior motives or condescending behavior or who knows what?
So here’s a clue for those who need one- some of us are really trying just to be nice! We answer to a higher power and walk in a different path. When we say thank you- we mean it. When we say we’re sorry- we mean it. When we say we love you- we mean it. When we say we forgive you- we mean it.
I am still keeping my tradition alive but the joy has gone out of it. What started as a way to uplift my fellow beings now leaves me with concern that I am causing pain and discomfort. I think it’s a sign of the times. If I was sending nasty letters people would be more comfortable. How sad is that?
That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?
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