Twelve

A note to Chuck, the gentleman at my Pittsburgh bank branch who helped me in changing my account details to have my married name. I met with him after a long afterrnoon at the Social Security office and DMV, and greatly appreciated his friendly nature and his efficiency. Actually, I've had very good experiences with several other employees at his branch, and I mentioned that in the note as well!

Eleven

It's been awhile!

However, I did mail out a Thank You note on January 6 (written January 3) to a salesperson named Dennis at the Women's Shoe department in Nordstrom's. He helped me purchase the most wonderful pair of UGG slippers. They are like little slices of heaven on my feet. Not only did Dennis take the time to help me find a pair that fit just right, he brought out a purple pair out of the stock room after I shared my love of the color, even though there were no purple samples out on the floor! He also guided me away from buying a pair of pink slippers that were sort of mid-century looking (a color that people used to decorate their kitchens with, etc.).

My feet are now super-toasty while in my apartment during the cold Pittsburgh winter, and I truly have Dennis to thank!

Ten

Written to Staples (my local Pittsburgh location):

Dear Staples team,

Thank you for distributing the wonderful TechniMobili desk! My fiance and I have purchased three from your website and stores!

#1 resides in the second bedroom of our Pittsburgh apartment. I work from home, and I have found it comfortable and spacious.

#2 was purchased for my old room back at my parents' home in Long Island. My visits are frequent, so it has been great to have an ergonomic workdesk that can easily be compacted as needed.

#3 is in our apartment's living/dining area. My fiance uses it most evenings when he gets home from work, and I'm happy that it got him to a more comfortable work space -- dining tables are not ideal for extensive computer work!

I've had great improvements in my arm/wrist/shoulder positioning with this desk, and the price is very reasonable. I appreciate that there's plenty of room for a laptop, external monitor, and any accessories like speakers, a modem, etc.

Thank you once again for distributing such a great product - I'm sure I'll be enjoying these desks for years to come!

Sincerely,

Hima Tadoori

Mailed Friday September 23, 2011

Response from BAGGU!

These components of a lovely note -- a graphic card front with handwritten text inside -- were included in an unexpected package from BAGGU that showed up in my mailbox this afternoon! The plastic pouch also contained gifts. There were two neatly compartmented reusable bags - one was a regular size in a great leopard-type print, and the other was a blue "baby" BAGGU, the product line's smaller version that is great for snacks and even lunches as well as low-volume errands.

What really excited me, however, was the words I read in the notecard shown -- I couldn't believe that the first Thank You that I had sent out in this projected was passed around in the company's California office then sent to the other side of the country for staff in New York to enjoy. That completely amazes me. I started this project to send more appreciation and gratitude into the universe, but I had no idea that it could have such a widespread effect. I am so happy that I am doing this - I don't care how long it takes me, I will do everything in my power to send out my Thousand Thank Yous!!!!

Response from a New York Times Bestselling Author!!!!

So I returned to Pittsburgh last night after two weeks away..As one can see by the dates of my blog posts, I haven't mailed out any Thank Yous in awhile. This has partly been due to the increased demands of wedding planning (less than two months away, yowsa!) and my Type A tendencies. Regarding the latter, I feel the need to write my Thank Yous in a very methodical, perfect way which takes more time than simply writing a note, applying the appropriate postage, and dropping in the mail. So, I have decided to at least write one Thank You a week - not ambitious at all, but doable. The ideas for the Thank Yous fill my head every day, but it's the action of sitting down to write them that I sidestep when I get busy with the rest of my life.

Back to the topic of this post - on checking the pile of mail that had built up for me these past two weeks, I saw a notecard envelope with a handwritten address and the name "Gretchen Rubin" written in above the return address on the flap!! I was ecstatic!! I ripped the envelope open as gently as I could to preserve it, and pulled out a heavy stock notecard that read as follows:

Dear Hima,

Thanks so much for your lovely note! I'm thrilled to hear that my worked resonated with you -- I so appreciate you taking the time to let me know.

Good luck with your happiness project!

Warmly,
Gretchen


Ahhhh!! That just felt amazing. And one of the best parts was that I realized that I was so thankful that Ms. Rubin had simply taken the time to show her appreciation to me -- it felt so good!

With that, I'll post to the blog at least once a week, and more as life permits!!

One of my Thank Yous hits the net!

So the recipient of Thank You number Four emailed me today to let me know she had actually scanned and posted my Thank You letter to her business' website as a Testimonial! I of course checked it out immediately:

http://www.thebrowsrus.com/Testimonial.aspx

And was happy to see my handwriting to her again. Nice to know that the good vibes sent out in a thank you can keep on vibing for some time. =)

Nine

Written Friday July 15, mailed Monday July 18....To Garth, the salesperson at South Hills Honda who managed the leasing of my car..I had received at least 3 typed-up thank yous from him over the past four months, so I figured a handwritten one back might be nice. Car dealers are people too! ;)