Two years ago, I stumbled upon an item called “A Year of Gratitude” from a retailer called Uncommon Goods.
And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it ever since.
Here it is:
you can buy it here for $30
It consists of 52 stylish Thank You cards, envelopes, and a small journal. The idea is that you send one Thank You card each week of the year, and keep track of who you sent them to in the journal. Hence…a Year of Gratitude.
I loved the idea of sending cards to people in my life, and couldn’t stop thinking about it. (But I didn’t want to spend $30 [plus shipping] on Thank You cards, so I procrastinated and never bought it.)
Nearly two years passed, and I was still thinking about A Year of Gratitude. I finally decided that I needed to stop thinking and start doing!
…But I’m still cheap so I went hunting on Amazon and got 36 cards + envelopes for just $12. There are loads of nice options but these were my favorites:
I was so excited to get started! I imagined being the Most Thoughtful Person Ever, reconnecting with people from the past, reaching out to people who felt underappreciated, brightening the day of people who’d never expect it. They would open my card, smile, and think, “Oh, how thoughtful she is!”
(Let be honest here—a big part of doing something like this is to make YOURSELF feel good. Right?)
But once I had those cards in front of me, I hit a roadblock. Thinking of people to send cards wasn’t as easy as I thought. I struggled to think of more than four people to contact.
So far, I knew: my grandma, my aunt, my biggest Patreon podcast supporter, and my favorite local hummus company (I know, but seriously their hummus is out of this world). But after that, it got more difficult. I think some people might think I’m strange for sending a card. Plus, I know hardly anyone’s physical address anymore because email is used for everything!
So, I decided to leave all my card-writing supplies on my kitchen table where they are easily accessible for when the mood strikes me.
It’s fun to think about people I can thank, to really search hard for ideas. It’s such a different setting for my brain; I enjoy it.
The reason I’m sharing this with you today is because I can totally imagine other HSPs geeking out about this like I did.
So, who wants to join me in the Thank You Card Challenge?
All you need to do is this:
- Commit to sending out a certain number of Thank You cards (it can be 12, 36, 52, whatever you want.)
- Leave a comment below and tell us:
- If you are going to participate.
- What are your ideas for who you’ll send cards to?
- Are you excited?!
Btw, if you decide to buy cards on Amazon, would you mind using my affiliate link? I get a few pennies per order.
UPDATE 3/15: I sent cards to a former co-worker and a frequent commenter on my blog. It’s getting more difficult to think of additional people to reach out to!
What a great idea! 🙂 I’ve been thinking about gratitude as it’s a bit of a theme around this year, and I’ve been having to consider it a lot as I recently got married. I wrote my wedding thank you cards a couple of weeks ago, and because it had been later than I hoped, I really sat down and let the thank you’s flow in a more emotional way than I’d usually allow myself. It was a wonderful experience that has brought me closer to so many people, and a week on I have appreciated already some return of feeling. Many called to tell me how much they appreciated genuine feelings, and so I think you’ll find your cards well received. Everyone likes a pick-me-up, and it’s often that we don’t realise how apt our timing often is when we reach out to a friend or stranger.
Since this is the place for it, I’ll say, I found the experience quite exhausting, as likely for being a hsp, I felt like I had had a deep conversation with every one of my recipients by the time I was done writing! I wasn’t expecting to be so moved, and it was an utterly fantastic thing to experience.
I’ve already set out to send more thank you notes this year, as it did me so much good to reflect with gratitude. It’s a great challenge to set yourself, so like you I will try to keep my cards to hand for when inspiration strikes.
All the best, Sophie
Thank you, Sophie!! I love your comments.
Kelly, I applaud your gratitude project! This is an important vein in the kindness movement. No thankyou is too small: where addresses are lacking, consider hand delivering (or leaving on a counter/chair/windshield) short, sincere kudos to the many service people and profesionals who rocked your day. Keep a few of those gorgeous cards in your purse for sudden stealth inscribing, and it’s okay to just sign it with a first name or pseudonym like “a very grateful customer.” I’m on board with the Challenge!
I’m gonna do it! My husband’s 104 year old great aunt just passed last week. She made it a point to always send cards of thankfulness. Everyone in the family knew her by this trait. What a wonderful lady. It will be a tribute to her memory.
How awesome, Holly!! Thank you! Keep me updated on how it goes!
Hi: I went to the tagged Amazon website before I even finished the article and bought 36 rustic cards.. What a great Idea . Thank You
Awesome, Willie!! Any ideas who you will send them to? I hope you enjoy the challenge! I just sent out another card today.
Kelly,
Thanks for the lovely surprise and sincere words!
glad you got it! 🙂 you’re welcome!
I love this. What a beautiful way to show love and appreciation.