A Note of Thanks

The holidays are pure bliss to the note-card obsessed. Christmas cards, thank you notes for all of the gifts you received (yes, even the ones you took back or regifted), the smell of the adhesive on the back of postage stamps. Am I the only one who notices the stamp smell? Okay, yeah, probably. The holidays are also such a great time to reflect on who you are and the people who you have helped you along the way. A priest at my church once said we often thank people for what they do. How often do we thank people for who they are? I don't think people recognize thier own best qualities until someone else points them out. Ask them what their problem areas are (if you're brave enough), and most people could give you a laundry list. So when you're at a loss for what to say in your thank you notes, try pointing out the person's qualities you enjoy or admire. Or better yet, just drop that person a line for the sole purpose of thanking them for who they are. And take a whiff of...

I'm a terrible sister. The fact that I haven't talked to my sister in months in no way means I don't care about her, her life or my nephew's latest Evel Knievel stunt. I blame a lot of things for my lack of talk-talk with my sister -- crazy schedules, current addiction to social networking sites, Harry Potter. But I think the real reason is much more psychological (aren't all the good reasons psychological?). Communication style. I'm a writer. She's a talker. I pick up a pen and paper or a keyboard. She picks up the phone. I think to talk. She talks to think. We are opposite communicators and therefore we have trouble connecting. This happens in all facets of life. Your boss. Your coworker. Your friends. Your lover. People communicate differently and unless you can give them information in the medium they digest it best, they probably will only get half the story. But if you can pick up on and cater to those communication styles, you are much more likely to ...

Hypocrite. That's what's written on my forehead today. Here I am preaching to the world the wonders of the hand-written thank-you note. What just dawned on me this morning? I, the thank-you-note queen, missed not one but three chances to thank people who helped me achieve a goal. Thank you notes aren't just for appreciation of gifts. They are for appreciation of time, effort, advice, and many other non-tangible things. I recently interviewed for a promotion with three executives in my organization. All three interviews went very well and all three executives agreed I was a good fit for the new job duties. I should have sent each interviewer a note post-Q&A thanking them for their time. It would have given me another chance to show how excited I was for the position and given my character a big gold star. Luckily, they overlooked my slip and offered me the position anyway. Had I been an external candidate without history with the company, it might have made the differenc...

Reading and Writing. Kind of like the chicken and the egg scenerio. Without one, there really isn't the other. There is no doubt that reading has a profound effect on your writing. Reading not only helps expand vocabulary, but it also reinforces proper grammar in a non nun-and-ruler type way. Although thank-you notes don't need to be -- and most times shouldn't be -- great works of prose, it helps if at 35, your TYN to grandma doesn't sound the same as it did when you were 10. I'm compiling a list of books that I need to read. It's my life-long booklist because that's how long it will take me to get through them all. My brother actually got me started with a list of about 35 must-read books, and I've asked friends, family and co-workers for their additions. Some are classics, some should be, and some are just fantastic reads. I'm compiling a list of my favorites here (sidebar to the right), specifically ones that I felt had an impact on my writing st...

Ahh, thank you notes. The bane of every birthday and holiday after first grade. Gone are the days of guilt-free gift opening. Now with each piece of wrapping paper cast aside comes five minutes of pure agony trying to come up with three sentences that would appease the TYN authorities. Did Grandma really want a card from Little Billy saying, "Thank you for the socks. I will wear them every day. They are very comfortable." Of course she did. That's what grandmas are for. Perhaps it was those ten years of guilt-induced notes that cause people to cringe each time they pull out the pen and paper. Really, it's not as difficult as we make it. All you have to do is add a little fun. How can TYNs possibly be fun, you ask? Ditch the watercolored cardinal note cards that have been in your desk for ten years to start. Get some funky personalized cards (I know a great source) or check out Hallmark's Fresh Ink line. Sending a chuckle with your tidings wins bonus points. Anothe...