Last week I challenged you to write a thank you. A real thank you note and mail it.

Who did you send your note to? I thought of several people I could thank, like teachers that influenced me more than they know. I looked up Mrs. Guthrie who led TOEC (Tennessee Office Education Club). I couldn’t find her anywhere. She would be glad to know what I’m doing now.

I thought of Dale L. Buchanan, Attorney at Law. He gave me a job when I was a high school senior. I was a co-op student and got to leave school early every afternoon to work in his office for a few hours. I received my first office experience there and was thrilled to be paid $3.50 an hour. I found him and he has several offices throughout the southeast now.

I thought of my family and friends and parents of friends. Coaches, team members and colleagues and bosses from long ago. Pastors, camp counselors, college classmates, professors, and mentors. And I was thankful. So thankful.

I’ve been encouraged and supported and taught and inspired by so many wonderful people. They’ve given me so much. Some of them know…….but most of them don’t.

A kind word spoken at just the right time. A hug when I felt the most discouraged. A new opportunity. A smile. Another chance. Guidance or advice. Sometimes nothing more than a listening ear. But it mattered. It all mattered.

And that’s why we should thank someone. We all have those people that touched our lives significantly and we hope they know it….we think they know it……but they don’t.  So tell them.

I wrote my thank you to a couple I met 18 years ago. I think they know they’re important to me, but just in case…..I wrote them a note. I hope it brought a smile to their faces knowing how much of a difference they’ve made in my life.

This challenge made me realize how wonderfully blessed I am and has motivated me to thank others. In other words, take another week and think about all the people that have influenced you in some way. Face-to-face over lunch, in a note, email, or text.  Just thank someone.

I’m going to send a note to a certain big time lawyer that may have forgotten all about a high school senior that worked for him decades ago. But I’m going to do it anyway.

In response to the Daily Post’s prompt, Handwritten.