Thank You
I know you won’t believe it, but sometimes folks are nice
For instance once in August I was giv’n a cup of ice
It’s because of folk like this we need our friend Lloydel
He will show our gratitude so we won’t go to hell (see D&C 59:21)
One thing the NSA Presidency felt strongly about was gratitude. So we delegated it. And Lloydel and his Thank You crew did a great job. Everybody who ever did us any kindness (and that runs the gamut from tour guides to bus drivers, from visiting lecturers to friendly hotel personnel to the missionary couple who offered to let us borrow their videotapes) received thank you notes from the Academy’s students, as crafted by the Thank You Committee. Every time we had a meeting with all the committee heads, another dozen names were shouted out of people who had in some way been nice, and Thank You was set to work. It was incredible how many envelopes to how many people those crazies sent out.
Thank You was under my jurisdiction as the Presidency’s secretary,1 and more than once I was up nigh until midnight helping write cards. Thank You was a small committee—only three people—and so, especially per capita, there was much to be done. But they weren’t satiated with all those letters they had to write. And so they created the Thank You Box.
The Thank You Box was a colorfully decorated thing that hung out in the back of the cafeteria and accepted notes. The idea was, if someone inflicted you with kindness, you could reply in kind. Of course, noble intentions notwithstanding, the Thank You Box quickly expanded its repertoire. Consider this note I received from Jennifer: “Seen any falling pool tables lately? There aren’t any slide poles around here. Who cares about saving trees?” At least it wasn’t signed “With(out) love,” as was one note I received from Heidi.
But it is unfair to imply that this was the breadth and depth of the Thank You Box. I have a small, brown bag which holds most of the notes I received; some are signed, some anonymous, but nearly all are buoying.
Theric, I’m wishing you sunshine and smiles to brighten your day!
Theric Thanks for all you do with NSA. You are the best.
Theric–You are the funniest! It was a pleasure to get to know you. Thanks for home teaching me, too. Love, Becky
Hey awesome friend!! Thank you so much for helping me mop last night! –Sarah
You are great! Thanks for being such an awesome secretary! I also really love your hair! Love–Mandy
Theric–read this and thought of you. Greg2
Hey Babe. You are such a neat person and your Chair Dancing Skills are absolutely amazing. –Gibby
I was going to give you 100 pennies, but it looked like you were having kind of a rough day. So I thought I’d be nice. Thanks for being a generous guy. Heather
[ill-marg]
This is how you know you have good friends—when they’ll lie to make you feel good. Because it is quite certain that I don’t meet any of the above descriptions, except perhaps the thing about my chair dancing skills being amazing (if we understand amazing in the Amazing Unchoreographable Freak sense and not the Amazing Fred Astaire sense).
But it’s a neat idea, yes? A Thank You Box? Sometimes it’s hard to say thank you, but if you were feeling guilty for receiving love yet not sending any, well, let’s just say it was good for open smilogue.
The Thank You Committee was also put in charge of birthdays. I don’t know why. Lloydel often contracted out to the Good Times Committee for the parties. They assured him that their services would make the parties a ton of fun. Which I suppose it was, except for one slight metaphysical problem: There’s no such thing as a ton of fun! You can’t fool me!
I believe some thanks are owed me for figuring that one out. Put it in the box.
return to the table of contents
Thanks for revisiting Nauvoo with me. I would love to hear your thoughts.