A GIFT OVERDUE
My Experience of Writing and Giving the Gratitude Letter
To My Honourable Teacher, Ma’am Shireen
Honestly, while writing the gratitude letter, I felt a little anxious and shy. I wanted to thank my teacher for her support almost two years ago, but because of my shyness and hesitation, I could never thank her properly. Although I always wanted to do it, I kept delaying it. Through this Amal assignment, I finally got the chance to do something I had wanted to do for a long time, and I am really grateful to Amal for giving me this opportunity.
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When it was time to give the letter, I felt anxious and shy again. My hands were even shaking because I had never given a gratitude letter to anyone before. I decided to give it to my teacher in person. Along with the letter, I also gave her a chocolate as a gesture of appreciation. I had messaged her a day before to ask when and where she would be available at the university. When I went to meet her, she was with other teachers, so I asked if I could speak with her privately for five minutes. She agreed and came with me to another room. I gave her the letter and asked her to kindly read it. She then asked me to sit there while she read it. From her reaction, I could see that she felt happy that I still remembered something she had done for me. She also told me that it was a very good thing that I remembered it. She appreciated my effort and gave me her prayers and best wishes for my studies and future.
This experience made me realize that whenever someone helps us, even in a small way, we should take the time to thank and appreciate them. A simple thank you can make someone feel valued and may encourage them to continue helping others. I also realized that I should learn from the people who help me and try to help others in the same way.
To My Supportive Friend, Ebad
Honestly, while writing this letter, I felt a little awkward. I think it is quite common among boys that we do not openly share our feelings with each other. Even saying a simple “thank you” to a male friend can sometimes feel awkward, so writing a gratitude letter was something I had never really done before. When I received this assignment and had to choose someone I wanted to thank, I thought of my teacher, but I also specifically remembered one of my university friends. Although many people have helped me in different ways, his help was something I wanted to appreciate properly. I had thanked him on WhatsApp before, but I had never properly expressed my gratitude to him in person. So, I thought this was a good opportunity to finally do that.
When I went to give him the letter, I first called him and asked where he was. He was not in the classroom, so I told him that I would come to him. When I reached there, he was busy with some other friends. I called him and asked him to come because I had something for him. When he came, I gave him the letter and asked him to read it. While he was reading, I felt a little awkward, but I still stood there in front of him. His reaction honestly surprised me. He did not look at me even once while reading the letter. After finishing it, he stood up and hugged me. I noticed that his eyes had tears in them. He told me that he did not want to cry, but reading the letter made him feel really good and emotional. He thanked me, and I told him that I was the one who should thank him because I had never properly thanked him before. He hugged me again. He also said that he wanted to share it on LinkedIn, and I told him that it was completely his choice, but I would prefer him to keep this moment personal.
This experience made me realize that even though we may not usually say “thank you” to our male friends, we should still appreciate the people who help us, even in small ways. Sometimes, a simple thank you can mean much more than we expect. We should not let awkwardness stop us from showing gratitude to the people who have been there for us.
