It’s funny how sometimes, the simplest actions can have the biggest impact. I didn’t expect a thank you note—something so small—to mean much to anyone.
But the one I wrote to my college professor? Well, that changed everything (in my life, and in his).
An Unexpected Influence
I remember the day I decided to write it. It was the middle of the night, and I was pacing my tiny apartment, still processing everything I had been through over the last few months.
Finals were over, graduation was around the corner, and I was feeling overwhelmed. My mind was flooded with thoughts about my future, my past, and everything in between.
In the midst of this chaos, one person kept popping into my mind—Professor Williams.
This man had been an absolute legend throughout my final year of college. Not just for his brilliant lectures on communication but for how he helped me when I was about to quit.
I realized I had to thank him, for my own peace of mind, even if he probably got a thousand “thank yous” from students just like me.
Crafting the Note of all Notes
So, I sat down, pen in hand (because yes, it had to be handwritten), and started scribbling. The room was quiet, save for the hum of my desk lamp. I could still smell the coffee from earlier in the evening, and I’ll be honest, my mind wasn’t fully clear. It was one of those late-night, caffeine-fueled moments where you’re not entirely sure what’s going to spill out onto the page.
But I wrote from the heart.
I thanked him for pushing me when I didn’t want to be pushed, for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself.
I thanked him for making me laugh during his lectures even when life outside the classroom was heavy.
And, because it’s me, I added a little humour at the end: “By the way, if I ever do make millions, I’ll name a building after you. No promises though!”
The Anxiety of Sending the Thing
I sealed the letter and slid it into my bag, feeling a weird mix of pride and dread.
What if he thought it was too much?
What if he didn’t even remember who I was?
I almost didn’t deliver it.
But something told me to just go for it—what did I have to lose?
The next day, after class, I walked into his office, handed him the note, and bolted. Like, I dropped the note on his desk, turned around, and walked out the door. No “Hello” or anything.
I don’t think I’ve ever exited a room so quickly in my life. My heart was racing, my palms were sweating, and for the next two days, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
An Unexpected Response
I didn’t expect much to come of it. Maybe a polite “thank you” in return or an acknowledgment the next time we crossed paths. What I got instead was an email, sent two days later, with a subject line that simply read: “Your Letter.”
The email was short but packed with emotion.
He said that he’d been having a rough few weeks—something I would never have guessed, given his always upbeat demeanor—and that my note had been a bright spot in an otherwise challenging time.
He said it reminded him why he became a professor in the first place, and that he’d shared it with his wife over dinner that evening, which led to a conversation about the little moments that make life worthwhile.
I was floored. Here was this person I looked up to, telling me that my words had made an impact on him. It was surreal.
Why It Mattered So Much
Looking back, I think the thank you note had such an emotional result because it was personal. It wasn’t just a generic “thanks for being a great teacher” note.
I poured a little bit of myself into it—the fears, the gratitude, the humour. And it came at a time when he needed that kind of encouragement, something I never could have predicted.
But the biggest takeaway? People crave acknowledgment. We all want to know that what we’re doing matters to someone.
And sometimes, just a few words are all it takes to remind someone of their worth.
Why You Should Write That Note
Writing that thank you note changed the way I look at gratitude. It’s easy to take people for granted, to assume they already know how much they mean to you. But they don’t always know. Sometimes, it takes a note, a simple gesture, to remind them that they matter.
So here’s my call to action: Think about someone who’s made an impact on your life.
Don’t overthink it.
Just grab a pen, jot down a few words, and send that thank you. You never know how much it might mean to them.
After all, it might just change everything.
Related:
Write a Thank You Letter to a Professor for Recommendation [Examples]
How to Write a Handwritten Thank-You Letter to a Former Teacher from Years Ago
