How To: Tell Someone “Thanks”
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine, Stevan Lasorella did something simple, unprecedented, and random. It was also heartwarming, humbling, and very easy to do yourself. Stevan wrote out a thank you note to those who had impacted him as a person and let them know how much they mean to him. I asked if I could share it, and being the totally awesome guy that Stevan is, he agreed. To me, this went along great with Dave’s post, Eulogy, today. I hope that this inspires you to write your own thank you note to others. I love how simple words of honest appreciation can have such a positive impact on both the parties involved. And of course, Thank you, Stevan for sharing this.
I am very very thankful for the many awesome and amazing people God has put into my life. I have so many people who love me, who care about me, who I can go to for help and encouragement. This is for you.
photo by hellojenuine.
To you,
To all of the people who are in and have been in my life, thank you.
You have taken the time to invest into my life,
Have taken time to talk to me and discuss things with me even though I often forget to take time to invest in you.
I have not always treated you the way I would choose to be treated,
I have forgotten you, taken you for granted, and neglected you.
I have forgotten to pray for you when I know you have often fervently prayed for me.
I have often called myself alone and lonely as if you didn’t count,
And I have been wrong.
I have passed you by without acknowledging you,
I have ignored your pain,
I have placed my desires above your needs,
For this I am tuly and deeply sorry.
So I take this time, this moment, to let you know how much I appreciate you.
You have shown me love, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.
You have cried because of me,
You have cried for me,
You have cared for me,
And you have put up with me,
You have been my friend, my family, my teacher, my co-worker
You have seen me at my best
You have stuck by me at my worst
You are there for me when I need you most,
I know that I can go to you in times of need.
You are a constant source of encouragement.
You have been there to ask me how I’m doing,
To pry just the right amount,
To make me smile, to make me laugh.
You have encouraged me, challenged me, guided me, blessed me,
And though you may not be aware, you have impacted my life.
This is my thanks to all of you. I love you. I thank my God for you.
I appreciate you and all you have done for me,
The time you have invested whether small or great,
And I want to be here for you.
I want to be an encouragement to you,
To show you the love you have shown me,
To pray for you, to let you know,
How thankful I am for you, and just how much I care.
Philippians 1:3-5 “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.”
-Stevan
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Stevan's letter touched my heart….esp. when he had included me in it. It meant so much. __From personal experience, never wait to tell someone you love how much you care…..you never know when it could be your last opportunity!
As many of my blog readers know, I'm a thankfulness fanatic. I think it's fantastic that you posted this up.
One line in particular jumped out at me: "I have often called myself alone and lonely as if you didn’t count…"
Wow, how true is that? I look at my couple hundred friends and think since none of them are reaching out to me, I don't matter. Maybe I really don't. The only way I really can matter is if I reach out to them. We're all alone otherwise.
I really enjoyed this post. Thank you.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
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Marshall, I totally agree with you, 100%. I'm glad you see the importance of reaching out to others and thankfulness! Keep spreading the word.
There's NOTHING like a thank you card!!!
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I agree, I just wish I was better at writing them!
Ah yes, saying thank you to people. One of the hardest things for a lot of people to do, but one of the most important things to know how to do in life I think. Thanks for posting about something that holds so much importance.
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