A Thank You

You know, a "thank you" is something so very easy and quick to give but people don't hand them out very often, not nearly as often as they should. It's ridiculous really. I am more often shocked (and appalled) by people's lack of gratitude more than anything else in the ways of how people act/react towards one another. It doesn't impress me how much money you make, how smart you are, where you are from...but whether or not you are nice and show that you are thankful.

I was not brought up "Ms. Manners" and will totally be the first one to offend someone with farting in public, burping after drinking Pepsi, cursing, etc...the list goes on I'm sure. I wasn't even brought up to write out thank you letters/cards...but was definitely brought up to say "thank you" and "please." My Mom compliments me more on sending out nice thank you notes more than anything else, I believe. She says I didn't get it from her, but she's so glad that I do it. :)

Julie and I share this belief that a "thank you" can go a long way---in the right direction and not receiving one can certainly go the opposite way. I am not shy to admit that we hold people more dear to our hearts who are the grateful people more than the "others." We will certainly look at you completely differently if you are "thank you" people or if you are not "thank you" people. It's just the way it is...like people who look at you differently if you drive a certain car, dress a certain way, whether or not you know certain facts and figures about the world, etc...we base our highest judgments on gratitude. I think if you are going to judge someone on something, it's at least something that ANYONE can do...poor, rich, young, old, whatever you are---you can say or show gratitude some way.

This client of ours,

is the FIRST client since Lennye that wrote us a heartfelt thank you note for the pictures we took of her children! She even included a gift card which was like icing on the cake...didn't need that or expect that...the thank you was WAY enough! She wrote, "Thanks so much for your patience and talent for the beautiful pictures of the kids."

I'm sure it didn't kill her or take too much time out of her day to do that or to write that...relatively easy on her part is what I'm saying...but MAN it made our day. I will keep that card forever as I have kept Lennye's sweet card as well. It really is about the simple things that make all the difference and become something more than something simple for the people who get to benefit from them.

Far different and better than another recent client who "borrowed" a whole bunch of our images from our website to put on her facebook page (which is fine) but didn't bother to tell us that she did or say thanks for getting some up so quickly--they look nice. How much longer would that have taken her to acknowledge that she had seen the images and likes them since she had the time to take them from our page and put them on hers? Just goes back to the fact that people make time for what they WANT to do.

I know, I know...people are different...that is great. And that is why it's OK for me to like some more than others. :)