(There are two beautiful videos plus some fabulous still shots of my book launch party in NYC at the bottom of this post. The love from that night oozes right off the screen when you see them and I don’t want you to miss out on that, so please be sure to scroll down.)

Handwritten Thank You Notes

I was raised in a home that emphasized the importance of handwritten thank you notes. Every Christmas we had little pads of paper on which, upon opening each gift, we would write who it was from and what the item was so we could write a proper thank you later.

I still love writing thank you notes. I have an entire drawer of a relatively large bureau dedicated exclusively to greeting cards and thank you notes. I’m a stationery junkie. I just love it.

I’ve had this idea to spend a year writing thank you notes. I’d make a practice out of telling a different person thank you every single day via handwritten note. I would call it The Year of Thank You and invite others to join me on the quest. (It may happen yet. Stay tuned.)

Then a few girlfriends and I got the idea to do a thank you note writing retreat. We’ll snuggle up in Maine (or some other cozy locale), drink tea, and fill our present with gratitude for what’s happened in the past in written form. We’re still going to do it. Just an issue of calendar wrangling.

The Best Holiday Ever

Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday. Despite its sordid past, I just love that the modern-day expression of it is about coming together with the people you love, slowing down for a day, sharing really delicious food, and focusing on gratitude.

This year, like every year, I have a boatload to be grateful for. What’s new this year, though, is how many individual folks I feel profound gratitude toward. We’re not talking double digits. We’re talking in the hundreds, and even thousands.

The acknowledgments section of my book was the most fun to write. Every time I worked on it I got teary (which, if you’ve been hanging out here for a while you know isn’t uncommon, but is nonetheless significant every time. I’m not a crying hussy. I’m just easily moved.)

It was also the most anxiety inducing because I was so afraid of leaving someone out. I emailed my editors at least four different times to put someone in who’d popped into my head in the middle of the night and simply HAD to be mentioned.

Thank You Notes That Aren’t Possible to Send

I’ve been popping letters of gratitude in the mail and hand-delivering some all fall. I’ll continue to do so as the days grow shorter and I have the sweet privilege of staying home for a while. I can think of nothing more delicious than sitting by the fire in my cozy slippers writing notes that say thank you.

But, there are also some people I feel deep gratitude toward whose snail mail addresses I don’t have. Because I don’t even know their names and we’ve never met.

Chances are good you’re one of them.

You open the emails I send you. 

You read them. 

You comment. 

You pass them along to friends. 

You like my posts on Facebook and share them when moved to do so.

You tag me on Instagram when you’re reading my book in an airplane or while sick in bed.

You tweet me your aha moments.

You send emails sharing how you’re doing with the stuff in the book or in the blogs or videos.

You stop me at Whole Foods to say hi.

You buy and then read my book and tell friends about it.

You show up for live events and give me hugs afterward.

You stand in line to have your book signed and to take pictures.

I want you to know that I don’t take any of it (or you) for granted.

I wish I could send you a handwritten note to express my gratitude. But in this case digital will have to do.

I know we may not ever meet (though I hope we do) but I’m grateful for you. I think of you often. I love reading your emails, comments, Tweets, Facebook, and Instagram posts. I love knowing you’re there.

From the bottom of my heart and the deepest part of my soul where we all truly know each other anyway, THANK YOU.

P.S. Below are some images and video footage that explode my heart with a big “thank you” every time I see them. These are from my NYC book launch party, which was so much better than I ever could have imagined it. A big thank you to the following people for making that night possible:

1. Meggan Watterson and Marie Forleo for showing up and setting the tone with your love-filled and beautiful introductions. I’m the richest girl in the world because I have the privilege of knowing and loving women like you. (Watch the first video below to hear what they said.)

2. Joe and John at Betterment.com for hosting the most amazing book launch party in NYC I could have imagined. To find out more about their incredible service that helps people reach their financial goals very simply (and to get 3 months free) click HERE. (I, for one, am a very happy customer.)

3. Roni Martin Photography for donating her services to capture photographs of that magical night. I’ve pulled some of my favorites and put them at the bottom of this post but you can see the whole kit and caboodle HERE.

4. Kat and Sarah of June Baby Productions for producing two amazing videos of the evening. The first is the beautiful intros I mentioned above with footage from the party, plus a bit of a blubbering spontaneous speech from yours truly. The second are some beautiful words about Money: A Love Story from Marie, Meggan, Terri Cole, and Rebecca Spath. Enjoy and share away!