I believe in thank yous. Showing appreciation is such a small thing, but it can have big results. And, it is not hard to do. Simple really. Try it. Say thank you to someone today and watch their face light up. It has to be genuine and your face must show that you are indeed truly thankful. Even the twinkle in your eyes must be sincere. Your words must match your face. When done in this way, you will see appreciation reflected back to you through the smile of the recipient.

Every time I am intentional in looking for someone to thank, I find someone who rarely hears appreciation voiced. The person who bags my groceries. The server at the restaurant. The doctor who sees a million patients a day. The teacher who is exhausted. The custodian. The security guard at the bank. How many people do we come into contact with every single day that could use a morale boost?

I have enjoyed saying thank you so much that I have taken it to a whole new level. I write letters of thanks…to the owner of the restaurant…to the president of the hospital…to the CEO of the pharmacy. I brag on their employee who has gone over and above for me. I must say it is fun. And because it is so RARE for higher ups to get positive feedback, I almost always hear back from them. And the employee usually gets some recognition, therefore the next time I see them, they are over the moon excited to tell me how that letter effected them.

That is how we came to be back at the hospital where Dad died. Not the outcome we wanted, however, everyone at that hospital we came into contact with was top notch. We were amazed at the peaceful environment we encountered in a trauma unit! Trauma units are rarely calm places, because every patient hangs in the balance between life and death. Yet, at this place, we were taken care of as if we were the only ones there. We were so amazed we wrote a thank you letter, to the president of the hospital, the head of the nursing department, and several other big wigs, thanking them for taking such good care of us.

It was not a short letter either. It went step by step through all of our time from beginning to end and named each person on his care team that we could remember. It included the security personnel at the entrance who checked our bags every time we came in. The people at the front desk who printed our name tags each morning. The cleaning staff who were so respectful each time they came to mop and clean Dad’s room. As well as all the nurses and doctors, residents and interns, therapists and technicians.

Shortly afterwards, I got a phone call thanking us for the letter. It was the head of the nursing department and she just wanted to touch base and offer her condolences. We talked for nearly an hour. She listened to our story. Then she asked if we would be willing to tell our story on camera so they could show the board and administration of the hospital. We agreed. She was going to set it up remotely, but then we told her we had been thinking of going back to spend some happy times with our nephew, since the last time we were there was pretty much complete trauma. She offered to gather the care team and let us reunite with them first, and afterwards, we would be interviewed on camera.

I must say, when we sat with some of the leaders of the care team, many tears were shed on both sides and we tried, once again, to express our deep thanks. We went to the unit and hugged the necks of several nurses and doctors who were on duty. One specific doctor who was the one who removed the vent tube, only to tell us he needed to put it back in when Dad couldn’t breathe. He was the one we had to say no to. God bless him for respecting that decision. He was glad to see us. They all were. Over and over again, we were hugged and thanked for our letter. They had all read it. One nurse said she had probably read it 27 times, to remind herself of why she does what she does.

The nurse manager told me that the letter has been good for morale and for us to actually come back has made an even greater impact. They will be using the video as an internal resource for training new employees and to show the board and their administrators why it is they do the things they do. That feels good. Was it hard to go back? Yes. Was it necessary? Yes. For us, it meant some closure. It also meant we had the opportunity, now that we are clearer headed, to express our thoughts and thanks more specifically. Was it emotional? Yes. But in a good way, I think.

After our time at the hospital, we took the rest of the weekend to spend time with family to see the sights and have some much-needed relaxation time. The weather was glorious. The food amazing. The company outstanding. Well worth the time and the effort to make the trip.

As for thank yous, it was definitely the best one yet. You just never know how you can brighten someone’s day. After posting this blog, I’m getting ready to write to Jimmy Johns about an employee who singlehandedly handled the lunch rush with precision and a good attitude. Hopefully, he will be recognized by his superiors…I always ask for rewards. 🙂