By Ashlie Miller

Walking to the mailbox once was a thing of expectant joy that maybe this will be the day I receive something lovely. Not a bill, junk mail, an HOA note stuck to the flag, not a solicitation – a note from a friend. The closest thing most of us see to that is a text from out of the blue, and those are welcome, too. But, a couple of times a year for easily a decade, maybe longer, the reward for a short walk to the mailbox has been a card from a lady named Trudy who sends us cards with a handwritten note of thoughtfulness. We are not special, but Trudy is – I know many benefit from her personal card encouragement ministry. 

Unlike a text, cards not only give me an initial moment to pause, but, for as long as it adorns the table, there are further moments of gratitude for the thoughtfulness behind the card-giver.

It is a given that November is a month to pause for gratitude. Of course, there is the holiday of Thanksgiving, which often prompts us to look for daily devotions or even to make gratitude posts on social media. We also have Veterans’ Day – a time to properly acknowledge those still among us who have given much of their life to serve and sacrifice on our behalf. 

I cannot think of a better position to be in than that of a heart of gratitude before entering a season of giving and receiving, acknowledging the past blessings before looking to the future blessings. We already know that thankful, content people are some of the happiest people, and I’m willing to bet they are also some of the most cheerful givers and appreciative receivers when December comes around. 

While we do make efforts in our home to be intentional to send out thank you cards for specific moments in life, I could do a better job modeling everyday gratitude that extends beyond a quick thank you text. There is something special, intentional, and sacred about sitting down to write in a card I either have on hand or go out to purchase, finding an address and a stamp (which may still have last year’s holiday theme on it), and placing it in my mailbox with the flag up. When I receive a handwritten note, I realize that someone else has thoughtfully gone through the same process. 

The coming 7 weeks or so are already overscheduled. We all agree that we are too busy. It is a setup for anxiety, frustration, and maybe even a desire to hurry up and get through it. Asking to have a good attitude through it, never mind a cheerful one, may seem like too much to ask. But maybe taking time to share gratitude for someone in our lives intentionally could help change the way we enter another hectic end to another year that flew by too quickly.

I would guess that our friend Trudy has a pretty merry holiday season. Thanks, Trudy, for being such an encouragement to so many. 

Pardon me for being in a hurry, I’m off to pick up some thank-you cards.