Thank you for everything!

A month ago The Gazette ran an article about National Thank You Day, an unofficial holiday declared by the Emily Post Institute to remind everyone to say thanks. For the little things. Or the big things. For anything.

We asked who you’d like to thank. Apparently no one. At least, that’s what it seemed like at first. When no one wrote in the first week we ran a reminder note.

That’s when some of you started to take this seriously.

“We were embarrassed to say, ‘Oh my gosh, nobody in Colorado Springs submitted one?’” said Springs resident Chris Schofield. “So we had a big family discussion about gratitude.”

The Schofields took their discussion to Evangelical Christian Academy, where their children go to school, to find out what the kids had to say. Apparently a lot. I received a packet filled with dozens of letters, including my favorite, written by Jason, a fourth-grader, who said:

“Dear Tim,

Thank you for everything. Like when we where (sic) playing Airsoft battle and when you hit me in the forehead with a Airsoft bullet. That was funny. Thanks for the GameCube. Thanks for everything.

From, Jason”

There you have it — a personal and sincere everyday thank-you, which is exactly what today, Thank You Day, is about.

Thanks again!

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0152 or melissa.cassutt@gazette.com

THANK-YOU EXCERPTS

We have published the letters as they were written.

“I want to thank my Nana for buying me a new airplane when I broke my other one.”

Nathan Tullberg, first grade, Evangelical Christian Academy

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“Thank you ambulance drivers, docters and nurses. You help us feel better and you give us medicine, and without you, ambulance drivers, we could run out of breath so quickly. Thank you to nurses for runing us in to the docters’ office. Even if the most tiniest or the biggest problems, you still help us in any way! Thank you!”

Sarah Warren, fourth grade, Evangelical Christian Academy

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“I would like to thank my brother, Scott. He was there for me. When he went to collage, my mom cried like crazy. I cry a little too. I miss him. He lets me watch TV when mom is not home. My dog misses him too.”

Rachelle Keith, fifth grade, Evangelical Christian Academy

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“On Sept. 1 a nice young man drove up along side my truck on Interstate 25 and pointed to the back tire. He stuck with us until we had noticed he was trying to tell us to check the back tire.

Thank you for noticing and for getting our attention. I pulled over to look at the tire, which was going flat quickly. My two girlfriends and three small children preceded to attempt to change this tire.

We were rescued by two very nice young men who took the tools and did all the dirty work for us. Thank you for helping us. We would have been there a long time changing this tire. You made our trip to the fair a safe one.

There are angels everywhere. The world is still a good place. Thank you to all three young men who helped us and took time from their day to do so.

Thanks from the driver and passengers of the white GMC pickup, on I-25 between the Springs and Pueblo.”

Lori Maples, Security

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“Dear firefighters,

On September 8, 1998, Colorado Springs Fire Department Unit E14A responded to a call for a pedestrian hit by a car at 7 a.m. My 14-year-old daughter, a new freshman at Rampart High School, was walking to school (and) did not make it that day.

As I was home with my other two children preparing them for school, I had a knock on the door. A woman informed me that my daughter was hit by a car a few blocks up our street.

When I arrived at the scene, and I approached my daughter, I was overwhelmed by her injuries. A firefighter took me to the side, and calmly and firmly reminded me that I was the “Mom” and I needed to be calm for my daughter.

From that moment on, I became the Mama Bear for my little cub.

She had many surgeries, therapy, dental specialists and many times needed encouragement. As insurance companies do not like to cooperate, it was a few years until she was whole.

I would like to thank that level-headed man for his few words of encouragement and reality to me so I could be a better mom to my girl at that time.

It has been too many years and too many delays, so long that I am disappointed in myself for not doing this so long ago.

I wonder if he is still on the force. On the CSFD Medical Report, these four names are listed: Andrew Collins, Curt Brumb, Charles Matthies and Daryl Ritz. He was African American, about 50, solid, medium built. That is all that I can recall, as that was the last I saw of him because I was with my girl.

She developed into a lovely young woman that was able to finally run cross-country again and swim. She is now married to a wonderful GI scheduled to return to Iraq. They are expecting their first child late January 2008.

Sincerely,”

Jane S. Hyde, Colorado Springs

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“I would like to say thanks, with sincere gratitude, to the gentleman who found my purse in a grocery cart at Wal-Mart.

My purse was returned to the service desk. I am more thankful than mere words can ever tell.

May the Lord richly bless you for your honesty. Believe you me, you are a genuine answer to prayer. I hope to one day thank you in person. You will recognize me by my purse.

Sincerely, with Blessings from above,”

Kathy Monat, Security

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“My wife, Charlotte, and I are sending you this short note to hopefully give some thanks and recognition to members the Gatson family, who are our next door neighbors.

My wife and I are both pushing 80 years of age, and although we are in reasonably good health for our age, there are numerous tasks that are a strain, to say the least.

We moved next door to Mike and Michelle Gatson in 2002 and we immediately became friends and they began ‘taking care’ of us almost immediately. In the winter months Mike or Michelle are out shoveling the snow off of my sidewalks and driveway before I even have my first cup of coffee.

And if the snow persists through the day, their children take over and keep the snow removed.

Michelle has even taken over the weed control on our fence line! I had offered to pay one of the children to pull the weeds, but she would have none of that. She came over and pulled the weeds herself.

Recently I had a tree cut down in my yard and had it cut into fireplace lengths and was going to have the wood split by a ‘for hire’ wood cutter, but on the Sunday afternoon after the tree was cut down, Mike came over and split all the wood for fireplace use of that 40 foot tree and neatly stacked it for me.

The Gatson family is, without reservation, the absolute ‘good neighbor’, and we are the most fortunate couple in Colorado Springs to have them for neighbors.

I sincerely hope that in some way you can acknowledge their kindness, as mere ‘thanks’ just are not even close to being appropriate.

Respectfully Yours,”

Jerry and Deannie Roggenbauer, Colorado Springs

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“I work at an elementary school and we have incorporated the idea of ‘filling each other’s bucket’ this year. There are blank ‘drops’ that staff and parents can fill out to say ‘thank you’ to the staff.

It’s a quick and easy way to show appreciation to someone for something they have done. We just started this last month and we have a whole bulletin board full of ‘drops of gratitude’. It’s fun to walk by the board and read about some of the nice things the staff at this school have done for each other.

Sept. 24 is ‘National Thank You Day’. I think we are going to have our students write thank you notes to various staff people in our school. Let’s start teaching them at a young age to positively acknowledge others . . .”

Sandi Watkins, school counselor, Mesa Elementary, Fountain

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“In 1994 my husband was stationed at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. as a captain the in U.S. Army. He got orders for Germany and as luck would have it, had to move several months before I and our 4- and 6-year-old son and daughter could join him.

One of the things we had to do to get our vehicle to Germany was to drive it from Arizona to Dallas, Texas. We had another car which was going to stay in the States for the duration of our overseas tour. So I headed out for Dallas with my two young children (and 102 degree fever from strep throat) with a U-Haul hitch and trailer so I could haul the second car to Dallas.

We spent the night at a Motel 6 outside Odessa, Texas on a Saturday night. When I woke up the next morning and went out to the car I noticed the bottom bolt from the hitch was missing and the entire trailer was affixed to my vehicle on a mere couple of threads on the bolt. Dismayed and having absolutely no idea what to do, I went into the office at the motel.

There an elderly couple were manning the desk. They were the operators of this franchise. The gentleman eagerly went outside to take a look at my situation. He clucked his tongue and shook him head and let me know how lucky I was to be alive with this trailer hanging onto my car with just a millimeter or two of safety.

To make things more challenging, it was a Sunday morning and the only hardware store in town was closed. Still this gentleman volunteered to get the owner up out of bed, obtain the bolt I needed and then after having gone to the store and purchased the hardware with his own money, proceeded to fix my hitch.

Still feverish, I thanked him profusely, but failed to get his name. All these years later as I look at the handsome young people my two children have become, I sometimes think about how all of our lives were hanging literally by just a couple of threads during that trip to Dallas. Thanks to the kindness of this elderly stranger we were able to go on our way and get on with our lives.”

Ella Stimpson, Colorado Springs

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“Thanksgivin’ days comin’ up. Doesn’t make sense! It should be Thanksgiving year!

We’re all super fortunate just existing in this lovely burg with such lovely views. I’ve been ‘thru’ most most of the free and unfree world — there’s no place like our Springs.

Then, throw in a cane and a walker and the top blows off! Stumbling around town — youngsters to olde fogies like me — they’ll run ahead or back to open and hold doors all over town. Smiles and a warm thank you abound!

One super windy day, (my) hat blew off and I almost blew down! Super young lady grabs hat, my arm, steers me to (my) car and helps me get in (was only mad ‘cause she wouldn’t go home with me!)

You can’t — no way — beat our great burg for such great kind ‘tribes.’ It’s thank you, constantly!

Lucky me,”

Dale S. May, Colorado Springs