November: Daily Letter of Gratitude
I didn’t get here on my own
In light of the season, I wrote a daily letter of gratitude for my November challenge. This was a challenge that I eagerly awaited to complete all year. I was excited to start this challenge as there are so many people I owe long overdue thanks to. Before I get into this challenge, I want to share why I am so grateful for all those around me.
I had a pretty typical childhood up until 5th grade. I was in a middle-class family, went to public schools, played sports, fought with my younger brother, and teased my older sister; nothing out of the ordinary. Not until the week before Christmas when I was 11 years old. On December 18th, 2005, my dad died by suicide. This major event rendered me directionless; I felt like I had no path.
A lot has happened since then. I continued to play sports, fight with my younger brother, and tease my older sister. I joined the Army, went to college, met the love of my life, got married, and started my career.
As I said, a lot has happened since December 18th, 2005. And looking back 17 years later, it feels surreal. Because of the family, friends, and mentors who stepped up after my dad's passing to be there for me, I had a path ahead. These people were not obligated or pressured to, but they did so because they cared. I had the opportunity to learn from and experience life with many different individuals.
That brings me to this challenge. I did not get where I am today on my own. The amount of gratitude for those around me is endless. I was happy to write a well-deserved letter of thanks to those who stepped up in my life and are here for me every day.
I thought, what better way to show them the love they deserve than through a handwritten note. These notes took me about 20 - 30 minutes to write. However, I looked forward to reflecting on my gratitude every day, so it was painless to find the time. I ended up sending out 30 letters. Most of these were individual letters, but some were to multiple people.
One challenge I faced was choosing who to write these to. With the endless amount of people that deserve thanks in my life, it was tough to cut it down to just 30 letters.
One thing that surprised me this month was how long it took for people to respond to or acknowledge the letters I sent. Midway through December, about 40% of the people I sent letters to still had yet to respond to me. Since then, that number has gone way down, but I would never have expected this low response rate when I initially started this challenge.
The more I thought about why the more this phenomenon made sense; it is hard to express thanks. At first, even for myself, I found it uncomfortable to express gratitude and fully open up. However, the more I wrote, the more comfortable I got.
Others likely faced a similar challenge when looking to respond. Those who did get back to me expressed much gratitude for the letters. Many people even told me that it made their day.
I absolutely recommend this challenge for the powerful impact it can have on others. This month opened my eyes to the importance and power of showing genuine, unfiltered gratitude. What an excellent and easy way to make someone's day. This lets people know how much they are appreciated, which can encourage them to keep it up.
My life is not a product of my own accord. After my dad's passing, I was raised by those around me. Today, I continue to clearly see those in my life who lift me up no matter what might be going on. I am eternally grateful for all those in my life.
