Thank You Notes

    When you get ready to sit down and send thank you notes out for all the treasures you received this holiday, how will you send them?    Email or hand written?  I’m a big fan of sending hand written notes for everything I receive.  I feel email is too impersonal, and so do others who are what some  call “old school”.   But I do believe hand written notes also have a big impact on the receiver.

    Since it is college bowl season, I would like to share an article with you from a “74-year old coach who still takes time to write, and mail, hand-written letters”.   After you read the article, which my husband saw in The Dallas Morning News on December 24th of this year, see if you don’t feel the same.

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The letters come on Kansas State stationery, always written in purple, felt-tip pen. The scrawling handwriting is unmistakable, the looping letters clear and distinct.

Each is unique, though, tailored to a player who was injured. Or perhaps one who had a great game.

    In an era of Twitter and text messages, the notes Bill Snyder writes stand out. They arrive shortly after games, usually offering encouragement or expressing admiration, regardless of the outcome.

He does not leave the job to an assistant. He does not have a secretary type them up. No, the longtime Kansas State coach spends a few minutes each week writing them himself.

    “Well, I’ve got to do something,” Snyder said with a wry grin. “You’re in an office 24 hours a day, so you find something to do. But I do write a great deal of notes.

    “It’s to players that I believe performed well,” he said, “to young people that I believe have the right approach, the right attitude about their lives, about college football.”

Snyder has a hard time recalling the first letter. He doesn’t even hazard a guess as to how many he’s written over the years. In fact, the 74-year-old coach had probably sent dozens if not hundreds before anybody besides the recipients became aware of them. It wasn’t until a few players posted letters on Twitter that they became

known.

    “You’ve had a great year, Jace,” read a letter Snyder wrote a couple of years ago to Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro, who dislocated a rib during his game against Kansas State.

    “Admire how hard you play and the innate toughness you display to help your team. Hope you weren’t hurt badly on Saturday,” Snyder wrote. “Wishing you and your teammates continued success, good fortune and health.”

    Amaro, now with the New York Jets, still has the letter.

    “It definitely meant a lot to me to get that letter,” Amaro said.

    The Wildcats began the 2013 season as reigning Big 12 champions. But in their opener, lower-division North Dakota State rolled in and beat them 24-21 in a major upset.

Their season in tatters, Snyder sat down and wrote to Bison quarterback Brock Jensen.

    “I was truly impressed with you,” the letter read. “You played so very well, virtually error free and with such poise. I wish you a great year and hope you achieve all you desire.”

North Dakota State went on to win its third straight FCS championship.

    “That was our first game, arguably ruined their season right off the bat,” Jensen said, “and yeah, for him, I’m sure it was hard writing that letter. But that’s the kind of person he is. He isn’t going to change whether it’s a tough loss or maybe a loss that wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Jensen also kept his letter. The fact it came in the mail made it more special.

    “It’s almost nowadays considered to be old school to write a letter,” Jensen said, “but I’m sure if you were to ask coach Snyder, he would love to hear he’s old school. It’s cool to see that he still writes them. There’s something about taking the time to express yourself.”

    Remember as you sit down to write those thank you notes, sometimes it’s the small things we do that matter the most.