Thank You: The Gratitude Campaign
December 15, 2007 by Lillie
As a follow-up to my post on Adopt-a-Chaplain, I wanted to mention another campaign to show support for our troops that requires no money and little effort.
The Gratitude Campaign encourages people to thank our troops when you see them in an airport or anywhere with a simple gesture – a sign that means “thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Most of us are somewhat uncomfortable approaching strangers, and verbal contact is sometimes awkward. However, by making this simple gesture, you can express your gratitude without the awkwardness of a personal encounter.
You don’t have to limit the sign to military troops. You can use it to thank anyone serving others.
Christmas is a time to recognize our many blessings and to thank those who bless our lives. Thank you to my friends and readers who make writing this blog so rewarding and fun.
[tags]Gratitude Campaign, support our troops[/tags]
Those men and women deserve more than just a gesture from us. I believe we should give them a thank you, handshake and a hug each time we encounter them.
We can never thank our soldiers and their families ENOUGH for sacrifices made to keep us safe….and a visual gesture of gratitude is as close as most of us will ever get to these heroes and heroines. In addition, we must not forget….many soldiers return home with various traumas due to combat, and it might not be safe or appropriate for strangers to touch them or their family members without an invitation.
Thanks for bringing this one to my attention! It really is a simple thing to do – and I can bet it will improve the morale of each soldier who experiences it!
I certainly agree they deserve more than a gesture. However, many people (both the people giving the thanks and some soldiers) are uncomfortable with personal contact, and sometimes it’s not appropriate or feasible. The soldiers might be hurrying to their loved ones, or you might be rushing to make a flight connection. You can use the gesture anytime. If you are comfortable and have the opportunity to do more, then by all means do so.
Thanks, Edith. You make an important point that it might not be appropriate to touch soldiers just returning from combat. They have been in a defensive mode, alert and responding to constant danger for months, and they don’t get past that during the flight home. We want our thank you to make them feel good, not alarm them.
Glad to share, Sauna. Sometimes a small gesture makes a big difference.