October Thank You Note To Readers
With Sincere Appreciation
I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude and how important those two little words “Thank You” are. M. J. Ryan in Attitudes of Gratitude says that when we say “Thank You” we remind ourselves that we have been given something of value. We also acknowledge the role the other person or people have played in making our life better, more enjoyable, and more worthwhile.
When someone takes the time to read something I’ve written and responds to it in some way, I feel an obligation to say “Thanks.” Your time is a valuable commodity. I look at it the same as a shopkeeper would look at someone coming into her mom-and-pop store and buying something. That person might be able to go to a “Big Box” store and get the same thing or even something better, but she didn’t. She took the time and made the effort to come to your shop. The least you can do is say “Thank You.”
In case you hadn’t noticed, I love saying “Thank You.” To my mind those are two of the sweetest, kindest words anyone can say. People are often more motivated by appreciation than they are by money. That’s certainly the case for most of us here on Medium. The numbers I’ve seen show that only a few percent make more than $100 per month. That’s an order of magnitude higher than where I’m at. But even $100 is chicken feed compared to what most writers could earn in traditional markets. Still, we write and publish here. Why? Of course we like to see our words up on the screen in print for all to see. But, I think it’s also because we love the interactions, the relationships we forge.
A little appreciation goes a long way. Showing appreciation is a way of showing love.
I spend time, as I know you do, putting together stories that I hope will be interesting, informative, enlightening, and entertaining. I’m glad you find them worth your time to read and interact with.
Still, I feel an obligation to write these monthly Thank You notes. I also say “Thank You” by responding to your responses when you leave them. I do dearly love hearing from readers. What you think about what I write matters to me. I also say “thank you” by reading what you write.
These notes take some time to put together. I probably spend more time on them than any of my other stories, but, as I’ve said before, they are a labor of love. The way I write them forces me to key in your names, often multiple times. I re-read your responses and look at what you highlighted. I do this all with prayers of gratitude. I think it makes me a better writer.
Some might think that saying “Thank You” too often cheapens it. To me that’s like saying too much love cheapens love. Can you imagine getting too much love? If it is true love, you can never get enough of it, can you? A lover can never tell his loved one “I love you” too many times, can he?
To me, saying “Thank You” is like saying “I love you.” You’ve taken the time to read my stories and interact with them. You could have just as easily spent that time on your own writing or reading someone else’s work. But you didn’t; you spent it with me. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. The best I can do is write this note and do the other things I mentioned.
As you know, I hit a bit of a dry spell these past couple of months. I dropped from writing one story per day to only a few each month. I’m glad you hung in there with me. I hope my productivity will improve in the coming months. Now that winter is upon us, I expect I’ll spend more time writing. Knowing that you’ll read what I write encourages me to write more.
My stats for this past month show that 80 readers clapped or wrote responses or highlighted stories 247 times. That’s amazing. I’m glad you found my writing worth your time and energy.
I didn’t write much this past month, only 10 stories. I think anxiety over the election may have sapped some of my writing energy. You can tell by my political posts that it had me concerned. It still does. I pray all goes well in that sphere, too. (I spend some time each day praying for our country. I hope you do, too.)
I’d like to personally thank each of you who took the time to not only read but highlight, clap for and/or respond to my stories. You have warmed this old man’s heart once again. (Numbers in parentheses are the number of interactions — stories highlighted, clapped for and/or responded to).
a grain of infinity (1), Amy Marley (17), Ana-Maria Schweitzer (1), Art Bram (1), Ben Bear (2), Beth Ann Burkey Lombardi (1), Beth Stormont (4), Brian Kean (1), Brian Norsman (2), Carol Burt (2), Caroline MacDonald (17), Catherine Caruso (1), Charlene Fate (1), Chris (“C. C.”) Francis (1), Chris Hedges (1), Christina Meier Ph.D (2), Daniel Kay (1), Darshak Rana (1), Dave Volek (2), Dr Jeff Livingston (3), Dr Mehmet Yildiz (1), Ed Blosch (1), Eli Snow (2), Fatim Hemraj (2), Fendy dc (1), FILZA CHAUDHRY (2), Genius Turner (2), Greg Robinson (1), Gun Roswell (1), Gurpreet Dhariwal (9), Harley King (6), Holly Jahangiri (9), Hope Cox (1), Indra Raj Pathak (3), James G Brennan (3), Jeff Langley (1), Jessica Cordner (1), Jesús Salazar (2), Joanne Troppello🌻👑 (1), John C. Davis (3), John Corlis (4), John Ross (1), Jonathan Cring (3), June Carlyle (2), Kingston Duru (1), Lauren Shepley (4), Laurn W. Bedingfield (1), Marilyn Flower (3), matthewhitt (1), Mayank Pamnani (5), Michele Thill (7), Mitchell Allen (7), Neha Sandhir S (1), Patrick Kobler (1), Patrick Tompkins (2), Paul Douglas Lord (2), Pockett Dessert (3), Puzi (2), Quy Ma (2), Rasheed Hooda (12), Rhonda Marrone (1), Riku Arikiri (1), Roz Warren (2), Rui Carneiro (1), Rusty Alderson (7), Sal (2), Samantha Lazar (1), Sara Smith (6), Sarah E Sturgis (1), Scott Tarlo (4), Selma (2), Sharon Hurley Hall (2), Sherry S (2), Suntonu Bhadra (3), Susannah MacKinnie (1), Sylvia Clare MSc. Psychol (1), Terry Mansfield (3), Tiffany W. Liu (1), Trista Ainsworth (16), Vic Alcuaz (1), Wolfie Bain (3)
Knowing there are people like you reading my stories and poems gives me a real sense of accomplishment. So, let me say one more time, with sincere appreciation, thank you.
I’d like to highlight the work of these special reader-friends who interacted 5 or more times with my stories in October. If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll take the time to read some of their work :
Amy Marley 17
Writing from Australia, Amy spreads insights and joy while encouraging us all to care more about the environment.
Caroline shares on a variety of subjects from writing to technology to life lessons. She inspires readers with good, educational content.
One of my favorite Medium poets, but he writes about other things, too. Learn more about him at the following link:
Holly is my go-to source on all things about writing from content to style to grammar. She’s also one damned good creative writer and poet.
Though relatively new to Medium, Mayanak shares what he’s learned. He calls himself a mindset coach. He’s also an entrepreneur.
Writing from the Midwest, Michele writes to inspire. As she builds her wellness business, she encourages her readers to step out of their comfort zones and reach for the stars. She’s gone through some tough times which have strengthened her and made her bolder. While her focus is helping women build esteem and success, her writing inspires men like me, as well.
Mitchell is an accomplished writer and blogger who hasn’t published any stories on Medium yet, but watch for them. He’s a great writer.
If you don’t know who Mr. Weirdo is, you are in for a real treat. In his early 60s he walked Route 66, all 2000-plus miles of it from Chicago to Santa Monica. He plans to climb to the top of Mt. Everest someday in the not too distant future.
Rusty is a new writing friend who has some great insights. I love reading him. I think you will, too.
Sara has been writing a lot about Instagram lately. It is a platform I know very little about. You can learn a lot from her.
Trista just finished a 100-day writing journey and is embarking on another one. Follow along for some great insights to lift you, motivate you, and brighten your days.
Happy Reading, Writing and Connecting, my friends!