A couple of weeks ago, on Thank You Card Thursday, I learned something that I hadn’t really thought about when it came to being grateful. I was emptying a big glass jar filled with Thank You cards that we received from July 31, 2021 to October 31, 2023. But before tossing out the cards, I wanted to look thru them one more time. For many reasons I review Thank You cards (stay tuned for the next post!). Whether the card pertained to fun gifts that we had sent or special moments that we spent together, every card brought a smile to my face when I re-read it.

I came across so many Thank You cards from one event that we hosted last July 2023. We invited family and friends to come watch Taylor Swift in our suite at Empower Field Stadium (Mile High for those fans who refuse to let that name go). Reading these heartfelt cards again really warmed my heart. All of the cards were from my MN friends who brought their daughters to Denver. I did invite a local friend who, hours before the concert, took my son’s spot because his flight was delayed. I loved reading how much all my friends appreciated the opportunity to see a major pop star in concert with my family and friends.

Some sort of switch went off in my head after noticing the absence of Thank You cards from our family for the Taylor Swift concert. I’m not throwing anyone under the bus because I know for certain that they all thanked me in person for the pre-party, the concert and post-concert festivities. However, the only time that the words “thank you for the Taylor Swift concert” were ever written by a family member who attended was in May 2024. I received an email expressing how grateful they were for the concert experience. I had read that email and let out a sigh of relief; I felt seen and heard! I was so glad to hear that this person was grateful for that night. Everyone knows that my motto has always been - it is never too late to say thank you!

Anyway, it made me think. Do I write Thank You cards to my immediate family members for gifts or experiences? I know that I tried to write Thank You cards a few times to my kids but it would irk me to see that my sealed envelopes were not being opened for weeks! So I stopped writing Thank You cards to my kids. I do write Thank You cards to my hub because the dude spoils me like nobody’s business and my heart is always full of gratitude for the things he does for me. And I do write Thank You cards to my mom who sends us money for special occasions. I like to wait to write the cards to her once we’ve spent the money so that she can feel good about where it went. And of course, when we get gifts from our family, I always write Thank You cards. This year, for my hub’s bday, he took ownership and wanted to write texts to thank everyone for his gifts. I felt like a proud mama. I chose not to write Thank You cards in addition or as a follow up to his texts because I felt like that would just “undermine” what he wanted to do. It would also make it seem like his texts were inadequate.

So back to Taylor Swift. I never expected a thank you card from anyone after the concert and I certainly didn’t expect such wonderful Thank You gifts! (see above). In fact, I probably would have never even thought about it had I not read the most wonderful thank you cards from all my friends and each of their daughters. I thought it was worth mentioning in a blog because I thought it was a good lesson for me to learn. Even though it is family and families should do things for each other without any strings attached, I am going to make it a point to write a note of gratitude. I shouldn’t assume that my family doesn’t need to hear thanks. If anything, family should be the most important people in my life to hear about my gratitude. I don’t want to be one of those people who feels like I don’t have to say, “I love you” because the person already knows that I love them. Say it! Say, “I love you” and say, “Thank you” in a note or text even if it’s assumed, implied, expected etc.

Because I like to keep an open mind, I wanted to share this with you. We can never stop learning about gratitude.

Pinches,

Barb