I recently received a letter from the Hines Veteran Hospital expressing thanks for the contribution from the Elite Youth Tour. We donated toiletries and a gift card, and they highlighted how much impact that donation makes. In the letter, they also expressed that it’s because of nonprofits like ours that they can carry out their work.

Community and connection are also why the Elite Youth Tour has grown into something beyond my dreams. Besides nurturing bowling’s best youth bowlers, EYT has become a vehicle of impact and contributing to something bigger. And now, with these monthly giving drives, we continue to pass new milestones of impact.

Showing youth that they can make a difference in the world has become an important part of how EYT is empowering them. Through the Social Change on the Lanes: 12 Months of Giving, they can see that even little things can add up to making an important impact. Sometimes, the smallest acts of kindness make a big impact on someone’s life. And that’s another lesson I hope they will carry with them beyond EYT.

So, that thank you from the Veterans’ Hospital really resonated with me.

It also reminded me that it’s important that the bowlers know their efforts are appreciated.  Their donations matter. So I posted the Veterans’ Hospital message on the EYT Facebook page. I wanted everyone to see that what they are doing is genuinely making a difference – and that they are appreciated. The thing about feeling appreciated is that it keeps us feeling inspired, and it reinforces that we need to keep showing up. The charities and organizations that we help really do see and appreciate us.

I wanted to pass along that same feeling of appreciation to the surgeon who performed my dad’s angiogram and shunt operations, Dr. Farhat. Because he did his job, I still have my dad. So, I really wanted to express my gratitude for saving my dad’s life.

Too often, people take for granted that others know they are appreciated.

A couple of weeks ago, when I was scheduling the neuro surgery follow-up appointment for my dad, I discovered it wasn’t going to be directly with Dr. Farhat. Instead, it was going to be with his physician’s assistant. I asked if Dr. Farhat would at least be somewhere around for me to say thank you and possibly even give him a hug if that was allowed. They mentioned he’s usually in procedures that day. I wanted my dad to shake his hand and meet the person who saved his life. My dad doesn’t remember anything about the ICU stay or meeting him. 

The nurse on the phone appreciated the sentiment and said she would pass on the message. Yet, to my surprise, she commented that very few patients go out of their way to convey such messages. 

Her response was, “Wow, no one has ever wanted to do that.” 

And I was like, “No one has ever wanted to thank the man who saved their life?”

Expressing gratitude is just a small gesture. To me, it seems like a no-brainer.

But the sad truth is that most people don’t take the time to thank others.

I’ve written before that gratitude can become a habit, and I do believe it is an important one. However, just as important as having gratitude is expressing it to others.

My son, Madden, has always impressed me with how openly he expresses gratitude whenever someone does something for him. Whether taking him to a baseball practice or something else, he always thanks us for taking the time to do that. He doesn’t take for granted that because he’s the kid, this support is just there for him. He’s aware and grateful that we’re offering time and energy that benefits him. So he regularly goes out of his way to thank us.

Even the smallest expressions of gratitude can powerfully affect how others feel. Yet, so many people go through life never fully understanding this.

Showing up intentionally and with gratitude in our hearts is a powerful way to live. It’s also a great way to maintain positivity. And that attracts more of that good energy.

So what is a little thing you can do to show someone they are appreciated?