One man in Texas decided that these small expressions of gratitude shouldn’t be solely for big events.
John Israel is on a mission to write five thank-you cards per day for one year. He said he’s nearing his 200th day of the challenge and has no intention of stopping short. If he reaches his goal, he will have hand-written 1,825 notes.
Since October, John has written thank-you notes to people from former teachers who made an impact on his life to waiters he’s seen working hard at restaurants.
He’s even found unique ways to meet the goal, like sticking notes in the pockets of old suits before donating them to Goodwill. The suits were with Israel for some significant life events, he said, but he didn’t wear them anymore. He was hesitant to give them away for sentimental reasons, but putting notes in the pockets turned it into a positive experience.
It takes about an hour and a half to write the five notes each day, Israel said, but he doesn’t allow himself to skip a day or to write any of the notes ahead of time. Not every note Israel writes elicits a response, but many do, he said. He has more than 20 of those responses hanging up at his home.