Thank you…A Great Stocking Stuffer

“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say ‘thank you’?”

William Arthur Ward  

I had been nagged by the thought of writing a thank you card to someone who had really done something nice for my wife and me. It was on my list of things to do and I finally remembered to buy some thank you cards. I was so happy when I came home from the store with this new box of thank you cards as if that were huge accomplishment by itself. I wrote my note, stamped it and felt great that I did what I knew should be done.

I then had another thought. I took four blank cards and stamped envelopes for each of them and decided that there must be someone else that I should be thanking for something. It did not take long before I had all four thank you cards filled out and enclosed in their stamped and addressed envelopes.

It felt great. It was like the second effort in a race or in a tight football game. When I forced myself to take the time to ponder my blessings the list of things and people for whom I am grateful extended way beyond the box of thank you cards. I suspect that the four people who get these second effort cards will be surprised to get them but that makes the thank you even better.

Try it with your family. This Christmas put several stamped thank you cards in their stocking.  When they stare at you and the cards like deer in headlights explain that one of the best presents of the season is the feeling you get when you express true gratitude for the people in your life. They will understand it once they write and send them. There will be a lot of people who are touched in a positive way by these second effort thank you cards and it will include your children. I may need to go buy another box of cards!

HighFive Your Life Principle: Buy a box of thank you cards. Stamp several envelopes before you have anyone in mind to thank. Then enjoy the process of thinking whom to thank.

When you get a compliment say “Thank you”.

 

My friend Rick, fly fishing on Lake Ola in Tangerine, Florida

Everybody needs to meet my friend Rick…I hope everyone in the world has a friend like Rick. That would be hard to imagine though because there are simply not that many people around like him. He is a cross between Mother Teresa, Ted Nugent, Albert Einstein and Romeo….well at least the first three.

I met Rick as a freshman in college. We ended up being roommates the last three years and shared many incredible experiences together. It did not take long to realize that this kid from Fairfield, Connecticut was cut from a different cloth. He was athletic (played baseball) and polite. He was smart and humble. He was strong but kind and peaceful. He was the guy that everyone wanted to be around. He was everybody’s friend.

One of the things that stands out about him to this day is the way he handles a compliment. I was raised my whole life deflecting compliments. “Nice pass Gary…Nice run”……to which I might add…”just glad it wasn’t intercepted or I didn’t fumble”. If somebody said I looked nice I might say something like…“not bad for an ugly guy”. A compliment meant that I had to deflect it…self deprecation just became a part of my vernacular and exists to this day.

After teaching a lesson at church recently a young married man complimented me on the lesson. Instead of saying thank you, I semi-stuttered and finally said “well I am just a knucklehead and I tend to relate well to other knuckleheads”. We both sort of laughed and he said “so you are saying that I am a knucklehead?” We just sort of kept moving and sort of semi-laughing. What a thing for me to say! I apologized the next day and he was fine.

What I learned from Rick was simple. It is ok to say “thank you.” I remember giving him a compliment as a freshman and instead of him deflecting it he would say “thank you”. I remember thinking something to the effect of, who does this guy thing he is…You don’t look that good or that wasn’t that good of a play etc. Because he said “thank you” I thought wow, he must really think I meant it.

What a dummy I was. Of course I meant it and his response was simple and oh so right. “Thank you”. What a beautiful and simple way to acknowledge somebody else’s expression of kindness. It does not require any more explanation, dressing up or rebuttal. “Thank you” says it all in sufficient and powerful words. It stands alone perfectly.

When we turned 40, four of us college buddies decided to do an annual fishing trip. We have barely missed one since then and the several days together each year have been a blessing to each of us.                                

It has been a lot of fun for all of us for sure but where in the world can you find a friend like Rick that brings his own bread that he made to the fish camp. How could we be so lucky to…

have a friend that can’t wait to get out of the boat to cook for us? He never complains and always makes everyone else feel good.

                                  

He even brings food to the neighbor, my mother in law.

Do you guys have a friend like Rick? I hope everyone in the world has a friend like him. A whole book could be written about what makes a man do what he does. He is a hero to those of us who have been fortunate to know him.

All I can say is all that he would ever say:

Thank you!

 Rick at the annual Florida fishing trip.

HighFive Your Life Principle: Just say the right thing when given a compliment…say “Thank you”.

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