“Thank You is Not a Big Enough Word”

My daughter was six years old when she opened her birthday gift from her dad and I. As she tore away the pink paper from the front of the package, a face looked out at her from the porcelain doll inside.

She paused, took a breath, then finished stripping off the wrapping. Finally she sat there with the box in her lap, staring at her new doll, dressed in ivory satin and a sweet veil.

She looked up at us and said “Thank you is not a big enough word.”

I know the feeling.

When gratitude fills our hearts, mere words don’t often cut it.

Still, we have to acknowledge the gift, the kudo, the daily miracle, the referral. About a year ago I started sending a small gift to anyone who successfully referred me to a new project or client. These gifts don’t cost me much, but ordering and sending them is the favorite part of my business.

Taking the few minutes to focus on that person and be grateful for their referral probably means more to me than the simple gift ever could to them.

Time spent in gratitude generates ever more to be grateful for. So Sandi Maki, watch the mail. Your referral on Sunday is blossoming into something lovely, and for that, I’m trying to find a better word than “thank you.” xxoo