Thank you notes, so rare these days, especially on paper, found unexpected in the mailbox. Have you ever taken the time to write one? Perhaps it's time you did.
This handwritten note arrived this week from my former next door neighbor in Illinois. That she took the time to write, instead of email added weight to her note.
This reminded me that, while actively freelancing in Chicago, I always wrote a thank you note to clients, whether they were "just an individual" or a corporation. Even to agents.
One year the CEO of a large corporation let me know how those notes impacted his decision. He told me that my yearly presence at their Christmas dinner was largely because of those notes. He appreciated my skill, how I was able to personalize the music by taking requests, but most of all, the thank you notes.
It's important to remember the power of this seemingly small gesture.
Do you write thank you notes? Professionally and personally? It's worth your time, reaping rewards of strengthened friendships, long term business relationships and to encourage others.
Following a house concert, our trio found beautifully decorated envelopes with a short, personal thank you notes tucked on our music stands. Simple. Not costly, but a gift of time and effort. A thank you that lingers, not only in a memory, but in a hand, tucked on the shelf, or between pages of music. Precious.
The hand written note about one of my CDs, years later, reminding that it's still a blessing others, hard to express the delight that brought to my heart when thinking of this past project.
And this lovely note with the origami star: The music director at the church took a page from Gail Salvatori's arrangement of Savior of the World to make the star. I'd sent the music for the cellist that I'd been hired to accompany that evening Ruth used it as part of her thanks, instead of throwing it away. This note, addressed to Dan, is because, during the COVID pandemic, the cellist became ill and we substituted horn at the very last minute.
No gesture of kindness is small.
