GOOD DEED DAY & Thanks/Appreciation

Dear John,

Hope this finds you in fine spirits.  With autumn upon us, the temperature is dropping and the common cold, flu, strep, and other illnesses are looking like it just might be a bumper crop this year.  I hope that your little girl, Athena, stays well.  Being around other kids means that she gets to share all kinds of things, even germs!  But as a dad, you know all about that, I am sure.

I wanted to thank you for posting such interesting entries in your journal.  You have provided us with good advice and instructions.  You share glimpses of your family-life through wonderful stories and photos.  Quite often you give us the scoop on interesting stories, blogs/journals, and other sites on the web.  THANKS!

One of the things that I like about you is that your are dependable.  You put thought into your weekend assignments and I look forward to them every Thursday.  Even if I don't write them to the "T", I still enjoy reading what others have written.  Often, ideas for my own entries might spin-off the original assignments.

This weekend's assignment was primarily about holidays.  I would like to see GOOD DEED DAY become a celebration.  Especially when informal groups of people form to do something that would be helpful.  For example, Viv's property and privacy was violated.  So, a few folks are doing various things to replace some of her stolen stuff, as well as helping her to feel better.  Sometimes people just need to know that nice folks still exist.

Somehow, THANK YOU notes became passe.  I think that is horrible!  Especially with the technology we have to ease any sort of hardship of communication!!  Why, thanks can come in all sorts of forms, not just notes.  But it seems appreciation is so lacking these days.

Did you know that on 11 Sept 01, quite a few flights were rerouted in Gander, Newfoundland?  This small town's populations swelled to take on over 6000 guests.  Gander's citizens dealt with the crises well and provided special arrangements for all sorts of situations, including pregnant women and families with special religious practices that required certain food implements.  So, quite a few of the thankful folks that were rerouted donated to a fund to express their appreciation to the citizens of Gander and surrounding areas.  In my book, THAT was great!

Expressions of thanks and appreciation do not have to be nearly so elaborate though.  Thanking someone for a job well done can brighten their day.  That nurse, teacher, fireman, or even the waitress or cashier certainly does not get paid enough to compensate the sorts of things they deal with every day.  So I figure some of those service jobs are filled because people genuinely care...about strangers, about issues, about humanity...so, saying, "thanks" doesn't take but a second of my time and the acknowledgement is like a little gift.

So, John, thanks for taking the time out of your day to read my letter.  Thanks for the job you do, here in J-land.  Hello to your family.  Debra