“Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.” ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
There are good days and then there are the other kind. Today fell into the latter category.
And then this came in the mail.
An unexpected card from someone far away. Someone I've never met but who knows me through this blog, twitter and various other ways that I've built my PLN. Someone from whom I've learned just as much, if not more, than she has learned from me. Someone who took a few minutes to make my day.
I'm sharing it here because this, taking a few minutes to say thank you, is something I need to work on.
There are so many people to whom I could have sent this very card - and meant every single word. I've been super lucky. The number of "mentors" in my life far exceeds the nay sayers. And I know not everyone can say that. Plus, I've got this massive, amazing group of virtual friends and colleagues, my PLN, swirling around me every day: teaching me new things and cheering me on.
Seth Godin was right. There really is something magical about having a tribe.
Which is why I promptly came home and wrote a few thank you cards of my own - to the people who have empowered and inspired me. The people who make me want to be a better teacher and person. MY mentors. MY tribe.
In some ways, writing those notes and "paying it forward" felt even better than receiving a note of my own (even though receiving this note was made of awesome!) and I know sending them tomorrow will feel even better.
So... thank you to the person who sent me this note. (I asked her if I could blog about it, but did not ask if I could use her name, so I'm going to leave it anonymous for now). And thanks to all of you for being a part of my journey. There are simply not enough cute cards and forever stamps out there to express my gratitude.
Like I said, there are good days and there are the other kind. The next time you're having one of those others kinds of days, may I suggest thanking someone who's made a difference in your life?
Trust me. That simple act of gratitude can make all the difference.
