A letter arrived from the Caledonia School District last week. I retrieved it from the mailbox at home after a tiring day at the office, and a meeting ahead of me.
ìWhat the heck is this,î I mumbled as I walked to the house.
Inside was a folded sheet of paper. The words were printed on stationery that resembled a blackboard, complete with an apple and a worm at the bottom. It read: ìWe think youíre terrific for your efforts each day, and the care and commitment you always display. Weíre grateful to know we can count on you. Please accept our thanks for all that you do.î
It was signed, ìSincerely, Connie Hesse, Elementary Principal and the Caledonia Area Elementary Staff.î
Connie had sent it for my participation as a guest reader during the schoolís I Love To Read Month promotion.
The letter put a grin on my face.
I set it on the hutch, next to another note that had me pictured on its front playing my banjo for some kids. The message inside read said ìThat you for reading to us,î and was signed, ìMrs. Klugís Kindergarten.î That note had brought another equally foolish grin a couple weeks earlier.
Thank you. Those two little words sure do mean a lot.
Caledonia Elementary School didnít need to send those notes. It took some work and thoughtfulness. But it was much appreciated, and it will open the door for their request next year for an other guest reading effort. (If you know Connie Hesse, you can bet on that request.)
Iím not singling out Caledonia Elementary School either for their ìgratitudinalî skills either. I received a nice note from St. Maryís kindergarten teacher Courtney Kirchner last fall for covering a classroom event. I have a file folder at work with thank you notes from Bob Stark, Carol Nelson, Ann Thompson, Margie Rohrer, Florence Bissen, Brad Staggemeyer, Lois Davy, Mike Lee, Donald Miller. There were many others that I didnít save.
Those people didnít have to write and say they appreciated my efforts for this and that, but they did, and it was well-received indeed.
I sometimes think we are losing the thank you habit a bit. Every so often Iíll hear someone say that they gave a gift and never heard from the person who received it. That makes me cringe, and it brings back memories.
Writing thank you letters was a must at our house. It was etched in granite that we would do so. ìDear Aunt Clara, thank you for the sweater. It is very nice. I like it. I am fine. How are you? How is the weather in North Dakota? Thank you again. Sincerely, David Heiller.î
The letters pretty much followed that formula. They were surprisingly difficult to write. I would labor for an hour over a letter like that, and do my share of complaining to Mom all the while. But the letters got written and sent, and I bet they brought a goofy grin to old Aunt Clara too.
We passed that requirement on to our two kids, and heard lots of the same grumbling. But it was important to do, a no-brainer really.
Two words we can hardly say or write enough.
Thank you.

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Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475

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