Welcome back to A Man Should Know, a weekly column from Elliot Ackerman about how today’s lost boys can become tomorrow’s good men. This week, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, Elliot reflects on gratitude—and why feeling thankful is no less important than how we express it. Meanwhile, Nellie Bowles embraces that spirit with TGIF: Gratitude Edition.
One of the most remarkable letters I ever received arrived after my wife and I hosted some friends for dinner at home. It was a single page of monogrammed stationery with a typed message, which recounted a few favorite moments from the evening, commented on the delicious food and enjoyable company, and closed by hoping we could do it again soon.
Yes, it was a remarkable thing: an old-fashioned thank-you note. I turned the letter over in my hands, read it a second time, and was struck by the effect this eloquent (and seemingly antiquated) gesture had on me. And it was written by someone who lived a very busy life.
My friends aren’t savages (at least most of them are not), and appropriate thanks are always exchanged after time spent together. But I’d become used to these exchanges occurring via a quick text message or email—almost never a letter.
