The Power of "Thank You"

The Power of Thank You!

I recently got together with a good friend I had not seen in a long time.  One of the first things she said to me was that she wanted to thank me.  At first, I was puzzled about what she could be talking about.  Then she mentioned her experience with FUSE Washington, a political organization which promotes progressive candidates.  She reminded me that a long time ago she asked me for advice about voting.  I’d suggested that she visit the FUSE website, since it not only provided endorsements, but also information about candidates and the names of other endorsers.  In cases where there was more than one good candidate, more than one would be featured.  She explained that, since she is an American citizen living abroad, it is difficult to get reliable information about candidates and ballot issues, making it hard to vote, which she really wanted to do.  Her comment made me think about the many times over the years that friends have requested help in deciding whom to vote for.  Once I became aware of FUSE, it was much easier to answer those questions.  Thank you, FUSE, and the many volunteers who make the organization successful.  Thank you, also, to my friend for letting me know my advice had been helpful.

At this holiday season, when we sometimes stress over what the perfect gift for a friend or family member might be, we need to remember that the gift of appreciation and the words “thank you” might be the best gift of all.  My husband sometimes tells a story about a letter he wrote to his dad.  After being involved with a support group in which the participants shared problems experienced in their families, he began to realize all the good things about his childhood that he had not fully acknowledged.  He sent a thank you letter to his dad, which was greatly appreciated and helped improve the relationship between the two of them.

I’ve experienced the loss of some old friends recently.  People I had lost touch with over the years, who each were very significant to me at a certain time of my life.  As I sat through a memorial service or read their obituaries, I reminisced about how much they had helped me during my younger years.  I had an urge to say “thank you” but it was too late.  The best I could do was a note to the family, folks I did not know.

A few years ago a friend contacted me requesting a copy of an end-of-life planning workbook I had created many years earlier.  It had been so long ago that I had nearly forgotten the booklet and the class I had led at church about planning for disability and retirement.  My friend told me that he had used my workbook to organize his documents and information for his family but now wanted to update the information.  Digging through old files I was able to find the document he requested and sent it to him.  It was only a couple years later that I learned he had died.  I don’t know if he finished updating the information for his family, but even without a “thank you” I felt good knowing that information I had provided had motivated him to assemble information his family would need at his death.

Can you think of people or organizations that have been helpful to you?  Have you thanked them and explained what their help has meant to you?  It could be the best thing you do to celebrate this year. Happy Holidays! Thank you for reading my blog.

Carolyn Hayek