Saying Thank You

By: Lindsey Bernhardt

As we roll into the season of gratitude and thankfulness, it is important to remember all the things and people for whom we are thankful. Like many other families I presume, my family often goes around the Thanksgiving table and names what we are thankful for. It is not uncommon to hear responses such as health, food on the table, family, friends, etc. As a role model for my children, I have challenged them this year to not just share what or who they are thankful for at the thanksgiving table, but to let those who aren’t at the table know that they are thankful for them as well. 

This year has been particularly stressful for my daughter. She is applying for colleges, and she has been overwhelmed to say the least. As she embarked on this process, she has had multiple teachers, staff and other support people who have helped her with her college essays, SATs, school visits, and more. This year, I invited her to write a handwritten note to give to each of those who specifically helped her on this journey, expressing her gratitude and thanks. Whether that be teachers who wrote personal recommendations, her college counseling team who reviewed every essay, or employers who helped her resume to ensure she put her best foot forward, they all deserve her expressed gratitude. Yes, many of them were doing their jobs in supporting her, but that doesn’t mean that a thank you isn’t warranted. The ways that they extended themselves to support her are deserving of acknowledgement.

So let us all be thankful for not just those who surround us this upcoming Thanksgiving dinner, but share our gratitude for those who aren’t sitting next to us. Our friends, co-workers, health providers, veterans, teachers, staff, and anyone who makes our lives happier, healthier, and more whole.