Paging through an old journal, I came across two pages of folded yellow paper tucked inside. I was surprised to find a series of short thank you letters to various things in my life. They must have been the result of a writing prompt from a few years ago and I thought it might be fun to share them.
Dear thesaurus,
Thank you for helping me sound smarter than I really am.
– – –
Dear Arizona Heat,
Thank you for drying my jeans in fifteen minutes flat. It’s faster than the dryer and doesn’t cost me a dime.
– – –
Dear Passport,
Thank you for getting me to new places and saving me from a stagnant existence. It’s a big world full of different perspectives and I’d never experience any of it without you.
– – –
Dear Acrylic Paint,
Thanks for adding color to my life and stains under my fingernails. When there’s a green splotch on my thumb, I know I created something.
– – –
Dear Chocolate,
Thank you for making many, many moments of each day that much sweeter. You make me stop and indulge when I need it most. We all need that.
– – –
Dear Chapstick,
Seriously, what would I do without you. I keep you in my purse, laptop bag, and in three different rooms in the house. My lips would die without you.
– – –
Dear Garden,
Thank you for brightening my day with new growth and green leaves. Without you there would never be dirt on my hands or beautiful flowers to fill my vases.
– – –
Dear Age,
Thanks for sending me through this life with a little grace.
– – –
Dear DVDs,
Thank you for letting me watch movies over and over again. Especially, Twilight and Big Bang Theory.
– – –
Dear Books,
Thank you for filling my life with imagination, beautiful words, and thought provoking stories. Nothing can replace the feel of pages turning or the smell of ink on paper. You remind this world to slow down and ensure imagination will remain the ultimate storyteller.
– – –
Dear Writing,
Even after I left and pursued other things, you waited patiently for my return. You could have easily abandoned me and left my muse asleep, but you put the pen in my hand and gave me stories to tell. Thank you, my dear friend.
– – –
What “somethings” in your life deserve a thank you letter?
– – –
c.b. 2012
Dear blog, thank you for connecting me with creative, funny, glorious, beautiful people who make me smile and sometimes cry, who encourage me and most of all who participate in the wonderful world of sharing who we are through our words.
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Love the sentiment on this one. Blogs may be websites, but they really bring people together in extraordinary ways. For that I am also very thankful. 🙂
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🙂
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I laughed out loud when I got to ‘Chapstick.’ I am sooo with you on that. If I were stranded on a desert island with few possessions, that and ‘eye drops’ would be at the top of my list. 😀
I’m not feeling very original today, so I’ll also say ‘books’. Thank you for igniting intense emotions and being my blessed escape into someone else’s world. (Can you tell I need a vacation…) 😛
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I can’t live without chapstick! It’s the first thing I pack when I go anywhere! Lol! 😀
Love your thank you letter for books. 🙂
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Everyone who has ever entered my life deserves a big thank you. You’ve changed my life, even in the smallest measure.
Loved the post. Thanks for sharing.
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🙂 That’s very sweet to say.
Glad this post made you smile.
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I remember this prompt. I found it on the Internet and really wish I could remember where it was. It was fun and something we could easily do again.
Dear Computer
Thank you for making my life easier in most ways; especially researching my genealogy.
Dear Maggie Dog,
Thank you for being right there when I wake up in the morning and always having a smile in your eyes.
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Dogs really do my life so wonderful, don’t they? Always wagging and always so full of unconditional love 🙂
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Great exercise…I’ve put the prompts in my journal to think about later. I know my Passport is Shouting at me to get it renewed. I hope there is travel in my future.
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I hope so, too. I would love to see the world through your artistic eye. 🙂
Renew! 😀
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You are seeing some of it!
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Cute. I agree chocolate, books and writing deserve a great big hug!
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🙂 Chocolate is a food group in my opinion. Hee hee!
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I like this. I have a gratitude journal that I write in every night. At times when I’ve moved and it has taken me time to find it, or I forget several nights in a row, I find myself getting grouchy, or in some other unpleasant state of mind. Due to my perspective of my life circumstances, I tend to focus on the crappiness. When I write at least 5 things every day that I am grateful for (and sometimes it is some of the same stuff day after day), I find that I “see” that stuff more in my life. It also reminds me that there is more than the crappiness in my life.
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So true. Its easy to get distracted by the crap, so it is really important to remember to find the good. It always trumps crap. 🙂
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I’ve been trying to focus on gratitude the last couple of weeks as well. So here goes:
Dear Library Card: Without you, I would not be the person I am today. You threw wide open the doors to new worlds and adventures.
Dear Coffee: Thank you for keeping me alert and awake over the years, for endless hours of enjoyment and camaraderie.
Dear Keen Footwear: Thank you for making comfortable and wide yet fashionable shoes for someone with damaged, broken retail feet.
Dear Michael McKean and Christopher Guest: Thank you for making such hilarious movies, particularly This is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind. Thank you for A Kiss at the End of The Rainbow. (Do people count? If so:)
Dear J.K. Rowling: Thanks for everything.
Dear C.B.: Thanks for a fun exercise.
Why do I feel like I should have the Roots playing background music right now? Have a great weekend!
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I love your letter! What wonderful things to be grateful for! 🙂 I’m glad you found it fun to do!
I hope you have a fabulous weekend . . . perhaps shopping in those comfy Keen shoes.
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Who is better at gratitude than Oprah? Here are some great quotes posted on oprah.com recently: http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/Gratitude-Quotes-How-to-Say-Thank-You
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These are really funny creative gratitudes! I salute you, CB. I wish I felt creative enough to add one half as clever tonight. Great post.
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Sometimes gratitude is a quiet voice at the end of the day. 🙂
I’m glad they made you laugh!
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Loved this! Isn’t it wonderful when we find these surprises? Being grateful for those things in our lives is important. There is always so much to be thankful for. 🙂
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The little things really do make each day special and I try not to forget that. 🙂 Sometimes when we focus too much on the big stuff, we lose small wonders.
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Thank you ! (for the help on my blog!)
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You bet! It was so lovely to meet you. 🙂
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Dear Al Gore: Thanks for the internet- I can do a lot of cool things here !
Dear all the geniuses of yore, thanks for the numerous inventions and improvements that lead to today’s modern railroad system. Without you’d be going no where.
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Ha ha! That first one is too funny!
What about planes and cars? 😉
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Dear me!
😀
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Haha! Too cute. 🙂
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Dear nose spray – I would choke and die without you.
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How did I know you were going to say that?? 😉
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My family, myself, my pets, my friends, my muse, but most of all–dear God.
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🙂 All beautiful things.
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Dear LIFE! Thank you.
And thanks for the great reminder blog, of all we have to appreciate.
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What a perfect thing to salute! 🙂 Life is pretty darn amazing!
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The world, and mountains to see the world from.
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🙂 They certainly do give you amazing views and I’m always so happy you have a camera to capture those views.
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Dear God:
Thank you for giving me the experiences that inspire me to write, and for the confidence and skills to put those things into words.
Dear Dan (my son):
Thank you for growing up so that I now have the time to write!
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🙂 I love what inspires you.
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Great idea. I love finding old gems I’ve written down and stashed someplace. It’s fun to see where I was at that time, and how what I wrote previously resonates with my life now. Thanks for sharing!
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As I clean out my bookshelves, I keep coming across little treasures in old journals and tucked in books I haven’t opened in a few years. It is fun! 🙂
It’s amazing how some things change so much and others don’t, isn’t it?
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Dear C.B. Thank you for the wisdom, wit and wonder of your written words.
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You’re so sweet. 🙂 I thank you for the same things.
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I may end up doing something similar! I love your list of thank you’s!
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Oooo, I hope you do! 🙂
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If I ever forget how to count my blessings, your post is a good reminder of how I am surrounded by gifts everywhere I look.
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🙂 The little things really are what matter most.
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