Two Powerful Words

I’m a big believer in hand written cards. There’s just something heartwarming about taking a minute out of your life to sit down and write out a note to let someone know you’re thinking of them. Sure, I get it…it’s (more than) a bit outdated as a practice. And most kids these days don’t really even know how to address an envelope much less write a full note to someone. But that almost makes it even more special, no? 

Since my kid was able to hold a crayon, we’ve always written thank you notes for gifts, holiday cards to family members, and even year-end notes to thank teachers, coaches, Sunday School volunteers, etc., for their time, effort, and compassion. It started out with a scribble in crayon that people indulged as “so precious” and evolved as his ability to write evolved. I don’t remember the age - maybe 2nd grade? - he has been writing those thank you notes himself. Progressively, he has learned how to elaborate on a simple “thank you” to something with a bit more meaning. He’s also a very feeling kid. He truly means what he writes, which makes it a big longer of a process than it probably needs to be. (And he can write in cursive, which in and of itself, is quite an accomplishment these days!) 

I can promise you this - if you got him a book or a board game or a pack of Pokemon cards - he definitely took time to appreciate it, thank you for it, and, to this day, he remembers the person who gifted it to him, if it’s still in his room. Sometimes I question if we’ve crossed the line to hoarders, but I do appreciate that he appreciates the gifts.

As we progressed through our first season of high school sports - Freshman Football - the kid kept commenting how awesome the coaches were. He played defense, offense, and special teams, so he got to work with most of the coaches quite regularly. And he knew each one brought something different, supported him differently, and took time out of their lives to help make him, and the team, better each and every time. By the end of the season, when we’d normally sit down to write those thank yous, I wondered if he’d outgrown the desire. It’s high school. This isn’t a Little League coach or a town rec league volunteer. 

Lo and behold, he asked if we could do something special for the coaches that made such a difference in his first season of tackle football. Absolutely! So we brainstormed a bit. He knew he wanted to write them a note. He wasn’t sure a gift was the right move, nor did he know what to get 6 different coaches within his allowance. So we talked some more about what he’d remember most about his freshman season. And he honed in on the word “honor.” What a great word! It was the team’s rallying cry. We lost some games ugly early on. But, we never gave up. And by the end of the season, we were getting those 4th quarter stops on defense, sometimes as time expired on the goal line, to secure the win. The team would break out of huddles with the word “honor.” They lined up each game with honor. They played with honor - for the name on the front of the jersey. For that school pride. For their brothers in arms. For their coaches. 

So we did what we’ve done many times before. We designed our own cards to help convey the message we wanted to convey. And, then he took to handwriting cards to thank each of the coaches who made his freshman season a memorable one. 

Saying Thank You…

We designed a card that let the player express his appreciation in the way he wanted - focused on the team’s rallying cry.

I adore that he sees the value in a handwritten card. More than that, I love that he appreciates the power that two words - Thank You - can have in any situation.

Keep leading with what you believe in, kid! It won’t lead you astray.