Gratitude Letters Help Grow Relationships 

In today’s article, we will learn about 3 reasons why appreciation letters help create a deeply loving and positive environment for your relationship to thrive. Let’s turn “Thank you” into more than just a common phrase. When we spend every day or quite a bit of time with someone we care about. Sometimes we forget to express in detail how grateful we are for the things that they do. If you have a friend you haven’t seen for a while, and they get you a present, you may be surprised and consciously choose to share your gratitude. Now, if your partner does nice things for you every day, you may forget to express how much their loving actions and gifts mean to you because they do these types of things for you often. Or you may assume that your partner knows that you are grateful, so you don’t speak it aloud. Or maybe you say, “thank you,” and assume that your partner knows why you are grateful. Here’s the cool part, there are no downsides to writing gratitude letters. Placing your thoughts and energy on what you are grateful for amplifies the good. It reprograms your mind to look for the good in your relationship and therefore helps you live in a higher vibration. Let’s get into the seven reasons why and how appreciation letters can help create a loving environment for your relationship! 

1. Gratitude letters help you go above and beyond “thank you” and “I love you.”

   • A phrase like “I love you” or “thank you” can become routine because we often hear our partners say these phrases. To break the routine, and bring the freshness back to these loving sayings, begin writing gratitude letters! In our minds, we express our gratitude, but how often do we say it aloud? I sometimes wonder if we think it more than we say it. Gratitude letters help you put words to your thoughts. Saying “Thank you” to your partner is the basic foundation of gratitude. However, on top of that foundation, we can build an empire of love by explaining why we are grateful and love our partner. Your partner may wash the dishes after you cook, and you say, “thank you.” However, why are you grateful? Are you grateful because it makes you feel like you are a part of a team? Are you grateful because it makes your cooking efforts feel seen and validated? There’s more detail to dive into beyond the “thank you,” and the context associated with it could help your partner feel deeply loved and understood. And maybe, it’s a mouthful to explain on the spot why you are grateful, or maybe you have a hard time putting words to your feelings. The cool part about gratitude letters is that you have all the time in the world to dive into your appreciation for your partner. Yes, it will take pause and effort to consider the reasons behind your appreciation, but that effort goes a long way in creating a foundation of gratitude for your relationship. The first time you said, “I love you” to your partner, was it accompanied by reasons why you loved them? Or maybe you thought deeply about why you fell in love with your partner. What are the reasons why you are in love with your partner now? We can amplify “I love you” by giving your partner specific reasons why you love them. Each “I love you” could mean something different, and how exciting can it be to hear those magical three words but also know why your partner is thinking of you that way? 

   • You can also discuss why you respect your partner in your gratitude letter. 

     • Respect is defined as a deep admiration for someone or something. It means that you hold your partner in high esteem or regard. You honor them. The word respect holds a really solid vibration. So if you want to add a deeper layer to the gratitude layer, talk about why you respect your partner.

2. Gratitude letters show how much you care.

   • Words of affirmation are a gift, showing how much you care. Remember back in grade school when notes were passed? Before text messages were even a thing, we received a physical copy of how another person felt. Remember the feeling of unfolding the note and reading it with excitement. The gratitude letters act as a gift, an original surprise to our loved one that lets our partner know that we care. Writing a letter, taking the time, and putting thought into it show that we are being thoughtful and caring for our partners. The letter represents undeniable affection. Not only were the words being said and expressed, but there was action because they took the time out of the schedule to do something nice for you. Gratitude letters will help your partner feel seen and not taken for granted. 

3. Gratitude letters help you cultivate positivity in your relationship.    

   • Energy follows attention. That being said, if you’re constantly paying attention to the “bad” parts of your relationship, your relationship will inevitably feel bad and negative. You’ll know when your focus is on the “bad” in your relationship because you’ll hear yourself complaining more than expressing gratitude. When you write a gratitude letter, your focus will shift to the positives of your relationship, and maybe you will realize that there are many positives in your relationship. Then maybe, just maybe, you will feel motivated to let go of indifferences and instead feel lucky to have someone who cares so deeply about us in our lives. We don’t have to lose the person we love to acknowledge how lucky we are to have them. With gratitude letters, we can recognize how lucky we are right now.