I just got back from the mailbox and was sorting the piles; shred, recycle, bills and wait…drop everything…a thank you note from a friend.

You would think I would be totally blasé about getting note cards or greeting cards in the mail. But it’s a personally meaningful gesture and stands out from all the mass produced, push-a-button correspondence I normally receive.

I like writing thank you notes. Really. The thought of someone getting something good in the mail and knowing how appreciative I am, really drives me. Philosophically, gratitude and focusing on the positive is something I feel strongly about. Sharing my thoughts, using my favorite pen, on an interesting card, made from really nice paper, conveys that appreciation better than anything.

Spelling names correctly is a thing I’m always careful to get right. Nobody can stand to see their name misspelled. I’m also very fortunate that my wife Janet doesn’t mind proof-reading my notes. She’s a grammatical genius.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love email and computer produced correspondence, but it just can’t beat something handwritten on an interesting thank you note.