Mind Your Manners: Lost Art of Thank You

I’m joining my friends at Knoxville’s WTNZ Fox43 this morning for a segment about a topic near and dear to my heart: thank you notes. I’ve always thought it was important to send handwritten notes letting folks know how much you appreciate their kind gestures and since tomorrow is World Gratitude Day, I thought it was a perfect time to remind myself to stop and say thank you (You can view the segment at the bottom of this post).

It’s natural to send a thank you note when someone gives you a gift. But do you ever send a note to say thanks for little acts of kindness? A thank you note doesn't have to follow a traditional gift. This is where my idea of using vintage post cards comes in.

I have collected post cards for years, but lately my collection has been shrinking as I've been sending them out as little "thanks for being you" notes. There's nothing like going to the mail and finding a sweet, handwritten note from a dear friend. If you've been putting off writing a note like this, I encourage you to do it today!

As a child, my parents always stressed the importance of sending thank you notes and that has stuck with me into adulthood. There are some great new stationery options that will encourage kids to get into the habit of writing thank you notes. I love these fill in the blank cards for a younger child.

Another idea is to let your child create one-of-a-kind artwork on the front of blank note cards or have his or her drawings printed onto cards. As a kid, I would have loved sending cards with my own artistic masterpieces of them and I'm sure grandma and grandpa would enjoy receiving them as well. 

If you want to say thank you, but can't come up with the right words, there are tons of books out there to help! The Thank You Book by Robyn Spizman is a great example of one with lots of inspiration to get your grateful juices flowing. 

We tend to make things so hard on ourselves, but it doesn't have to be. From the most gorgeous printed stationery to a priceless handmade card...it's really the sentiment behind it that matters. Let's all take a moment tomorrow and say thank you to someone who has made a difference in our lives. I'm grateful for you, my friend! 

 

Roger’s Shoe Repair: Soles and Souls

Last week I stopped into Roger’s Shoe & Luggage Repair, a little shop in Knoxville that also offers general leather services. I had some belts that I wanted to get altered and I was told by several folks that Roger’s would be the best place to go.

I chatted with the cashier who asked me if I needed my belts altered from losing weight. When I told her that was indeed the reason, she sort of sighed and said that she had been struggling to lose weight and was feeling very defeated about the whole thing.

I consider myself fairly friendly, but I don’t usually divulge much of my personal story to random strangers. For some reason, I felt compelled to share it with her. I told her how, after slowly gaining weight over the last decade, I had, for the past year, been on a journey towards getting healthier. I said that each day brings new challenges but I’m trusting God through the process.

Apparently this struck a chord with her because we both ended up sharing more, crying a little bit and praying together. I left the shop feeling like I was walking on sunshine and I have thought about that day several times since.

I am not blogging about this to prove how caring I am or pat myself on the back for losing weight. I just wanted to share because this experience reminded me how important it is to connect with people. To see every person we come in contact with as someone with value, importance and a unique perspective that deserves to be heard.

You just never know when a random stranger will brighten your entire day or maybe, if you look for the opportunity, vice versa.

Hope you have a wonderful Thursday sweet friend!

Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil

Today is National Honesty Day and in honor of the occasion, I’m going to tell the truth…something I don’t always do. I wouldn’t call myself a liar, but there are definitely times when falsehoods slip from my lips.
I’d like to think this is less an issue of my character and more a result of my southern upbringing. Growing up, I witnessed adults lie all the time. Before you go thinking I was raised around a bunch of godless heathens, I’d better explain. In the south, there are just certain things we cannot or simply do not tell the truth about. We aren’t evil. In fact, most of the lies we tell are well-meaning and intended to do more good than harm.



I’ve attempted to compile a list of common lies we tell in the south (but I’m sure there are plenty of others). I’ve decided that all southern lies fall into two categories: lies to make other people feel better and lies to make yourself feel better. Within these categories are several sub-categories such as lies about food, lies about fashion, lies about other people’s children, and lies for self preservation.

Lies about food vary from telling someone her barely edible lemon icebox pie is the best you’ve ever eaten to saying a store-bought dessert is homemade or pretending to be allergic to a particular food item when really you just despise it.

Lies about fashion usually involve complimenting someone’s dress/hair/shoes when you don’t mean it. Same goes for lies about other people’s children. This might include saying someone’s child is the smartest/cutest/sweetest ever to walk the face of the earth. Any of these sound familiar?

We’ve all heard the old adage “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Instead, it’s become “if you can’t say something nice, lie and say something nice anyway.”

My fear in all of this is that by getting so comfortable telling lies, we stop recognizing the truth. This post was intended to be somewhat humorous, but maybe the issue needs addressing. I want my words to mean something. I want the people in my life to know they can count on me to tell the truth, even if it might be hard to hear. I believe there is a way to speak the truth in love. Wouldn’t doing so help us all in the long run? I’d love to hear your input on this subject!
{image 2 via flickriver}

A Random Roundup…16 Sweet Questions

I’m playing catch up a little bit with today’s post. I really love being tagged by other bloggers to answer questions and things, but because I plan my posts by the week, I don’t always get a chance to respond as quickly as blog etiquette would require. Two fantastic ladies have pegged me to answer 8 questions of their choosing!

First, the fun and feisty Candace at Mi Chiamo

1. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up and are you living that dream? an artist or ballerina…neither of which is on my yearly w-2!

2. Do you have a Bucket List?  If so, what is the one thing on that list left to fulfill that means the most to you? do a cartwheel…seriously, I’ve never done one

3. What is the best thing you ever ate? a cheese omelet on the roof of the Pompidou museum, overlooking Paris

4. What is your most memorable birthday? the most recent one…my friend Rachel had cupcakes delivered to my work! xoxo

5. Who was your best friend when you were a child and are you still friends? I always had a different bestie, but I hold all the friends I’ve made thru the years close to my heart, even if we aren’t in touch

6. What was the best piece of advice your Mother ever gave you? keep yourself open to any opportunity that comes along

7. If you had a child today, what would you name him/her? something good and southern…just found an ancestor of mine named Izadora, what do you think?

{my sweet great-grandpa and moi}

8. Tell me about one of your favorite family holiday traditions - any holiday you choose. Having a huge Christmas breakfast at my great-grandparents’ house at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning. While I was growing up, I didn’t always love waking up that early and having to leave all my toys, but what I wouldn’t give now to experience it again.

Now, 8 more questions from my new friend, the sweet and sassy Carol –The Gardener

1. Is there any one thing in life you still long to do? make a career out of blogging/writing, spend a month traveling

2. What makes you sad? missing people I love

3.  When you think back over your life so far...what is the one perfect day that stands out in your mind? just any random day spent going to yard sales, spending time with bffs, great food and conversation

4. Who is your favorite person to be with? I have so many favorites, I could never choose just one!

5. Do you keep or tell secrets? I’ve kept a few crucial ones over the years

6. What kind of music do you listen to the most? contemporary Christian, Broadway showtunes

7. Eggs and bacon or French toast and waffles? yes please!

8. If you had one idea to share with the world what would it be? Oh I have so many ideas…sometimes I worry this little blog will explode!

I’m not going to tag anyone individually for these questions! If you’d like to share your answers to any of them with us, feel free to do so in a comment!

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!