Written by: Caitlin Alfonso, LMSW
Gratitude, in its most simple form, is the act of being thankful. It is the ability to show appreciation and kindness towards a person, place, or thing. Therefore, it makes sense that one actionable way to express gratitude is the act of writing thank-you cards. In a world that has moved away from paper greeting cards and notes to the ease of texts and emails, a thank-you card can go a long way. Thank you, cards are unlimited, because it’s all about what you put into your note. Below are three categories of thank you cards you might give a try.
- The Traditional Thank You
These cards are provided in response to something. Perhaps you received a nice gift and are writing a thank-you card to express your appreciation. Perhaps someone did something extra kind for you and you want to acknowledge their effort in thinking about you and/or brightening up your day. These notes are in response to a specific and identifiable action or event.
- The “Just Because” Thank You
These notes are often given at random. Perhaps you notice something special about someone. Perhaps someone you care about has been going through a tough time, and you want to acknowledge how thankful you are for them. Perhaps you just want to tell someone how much they mean to you “just because”. These notes are often unexpected bright moments of the recipient’s day and may bring them feelings of warmth and happiness.
- The Gifted Thank You
In a world where we often do not express our gratitude enough, we can lean into the gift of gratitude and the heartfelt expression of being thankful. A thoughtfully worded card that expresses genuine appreciation for someone can be a powerful and meaningful gift! This card can be a purchased card with an extra message written inside, a handwritten or typed letter, or even a crafted card that you make yourself.
Words alone are just words but strung together in a way that allows someone to know that their value is recognized and appreciated by others is kindness and love to the highest degree – and it doesn’t take a lot of work on the giver’s end to make this happen. Encourage yourself to look around and see how you might level up your gratitude practice with a thank-you card soon.