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Send a Letter of Thanks for Your Daily Give on World Post Day

 

Here is a great idea for your daily give today – send a letter of thanks! October 9th is the World Post Day, which marks “the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in Switzerland.” (United Nations, n.d.) To celebrate this day and do your daily give at the same time, why not mail a thank-you letter to someone you appreciate?

Gratitude – A Gift that Benefits Everybody

One easy and inexpensive way of giving is to show gratitude to someone. Gratitude not only makes the recipient feel appreciated, but it also has physical, mental, and social benefits to the person giving it (if you want to see how giving makes you happy, check out our Happiness Research. One way to express your gratitude is through a thank-you letter.

Technology has changed how we communicate with one another; we use e-mails, text messages, and instant messaging instead of handwritten letters and cards. However, because handwritten letters and cards are rarer, people seem to appreciate them more than ever before. My family and friends often mention how much they love receiving letters, birthday cards, and Christmas cards from me. A handwritten thank-you letter in the mail can be a happy surprise for people you care about!

What Do You Need to Write a Thank-You Letter?

A piece of paper, a pen or a pencil, and an envelope will do the trick. If you want to put a special touch to your letter, visit your favourite stationery or greeting card stores and buy fancy writing paper. You can even buy thank-you cards with pre-written messages of gratitude. If you have difficulty expressing your emotions into words, such thank-you cards might be helpful. Just make sure that messages in these cards truly reflect how you feel.

Another great place to buy thank-you cards is a discount store. I buy packages of thank-you cards at a local discount store and keep them handy in my stationery box; that way, I can easily and quickly use them to show my appreciation to someone. (I developed this habit after watching a YouTube video of Randy Pausch, a late professor at Carnegie Mellon University, who talked about the power of handwritten thank-you cards.)

What Do You Write in a Thank-You Letter?

There are no right or wrong ways of writing thank-you letters – all you need are honest words to express your genuine feelings of gratitude. When I write thank-you cards, I mention specific gestures of kindness people showed and tell them how these gestures made me feel. Sometimes, when I am grateful simply for the presence of some people in my life, I write: “Thank you for being in my life!”, “Thank you for your friendship!”, or “Thank you for loving me!” If you want some ideas for words of gratitude, check out sample thank-you messages from this website: https://ideas.hallmark.com/articles/thank-you-ideas/thank-you-messages-what-to-write-in-a-thank-you-card/

You’ve Finished Writing the Letter! What’s Next?

You’ve done the hard work of carefully selecting writing materials and words of gratitude for your thank-you letter. Now, it’s time to visit a post office to send that letter (don’t forget to write your and recipient’s addresses on the envelope.)

If you want to go an extra mile in your giving, see if your post office offers special stamps that donate a portion of the sales to charities. Another boost to your give of gratitude would be to write a thank-you message on the envelope for the postal workers. My childhood friend used to write “Thank you, Mr. Mailman!” on the envelopes of all the letters she sent me.

That’s it! You’ve made someone’s day better with your give of a thank-you letter. I hope doing so made you happier, too. Happy World Post Day and happy writing!

Want to find out how daily giving can make you and others happier? Join 365give and participate in our 365give Challenge. Learn how giving every day will make you happier, and change the world one give at a time.

 

Source: United Nations. (n.d.). World Post Day 9 October. Retrieved September 30, 2019.

 

What people are saying about 365give

“I wanted to express my gratitude for the teaching you provided today. Your message was delivered eloquently, compassionately, and without judgment. The kids were engaged, and now have knowledge with which they can change the world. We all appreciated how you took the time to help us learn to build positive mindsets and practice happiness.”
Shelley Gardner, Grade 6 Ridgeview Elementary (West Vancouver)
“Actions really do speak louder than words, which is why I believe the 365give Challenge has resonated throughout my community. Every give we do is so important to us and leaves us happier and appreciating our lives a little bit more than before.”
Mahina Niyozova (Tajikistan)
“After watching the 365give TEDx Talk, I was inspired to join and begin a daily giving program in India. Today, along with 12 other volunteer women, we provide 100 meals to local underprivileged children in Bangalore for school every day.”
Deepika Ahuja, Mom (Bangalore, India)
“My life has greater meaning now.”
Renate Jorge, @BeKindBrazil and 365give Member, Family Program (Brazil)
“I just wanted to share that 365give really helped me. I am a better person now, thank you.”
MayLee, 365give Member, Individual Program
“This 365give Challenge has really injected excitement and extra enthusiasm in each work day as I think about what we can do. It has motivated me and the students.”
Cristina Peters, School Counselor (New York City, USA)
“I have seen a huge shift in energy throughout my classroom since doing the 365give Challenge. The Challenge has empowered my students to make a positive difference in the school’s community and beyond.”
Cella Adriana, Special Needs Educator /The Holliswood School (New York City, USA)
“The 365give Challenge helps students understand their impact on others. It opens avenues for introducing and discussing global and local issues in classrooms. It is powerful to watch students of all ages think about how they can make a change in another person’s life with one small act.”
Jessica Hall, Primary Teacher, French Immersion at École Pauline Johnson (West Vancouver, Canada)