In a recent Live Like It Matters Challenge I encouraged you to write a thank you. The real kind…. the kind you write out and mail.

Who did you send your note to? I thought of several people I could thank, like teachers that influenced me more than they know. Or past employers. Dale L. Buchanan, Attorney at Law gave me a job when I was a senior in high school. I was a co-op student and left school early every afternoon to work in his office for a few hours. It was a growing, bustling organization and they provided a place for me to learn and gain office work experience.

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 friend I met a decade or so ago. She recently moved to Houston and I miss our lunch dates. I hope she knows she’s important to me, but just in case…..I wrote her a note. I hope it brought a smile to her face knowing how much of a difference she’s made in my life and the lives of my children.

This challenge made me realize how wonderfully blessed I am and has motivated me to thank others. I urge you to do the same. Take some time to think about the people who have influenced you in some way. And thank them. 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.

When I originally issued this challenge almost two years ago I’d intended to write the thank you note to Dale L. Buchanan, Attorney at Law but for some reason didn’t follow through. I’m really going to do it this time.

You all hold me to this!