It’s a thankful job and I’m glad to do it

“Thank you.” My parents taught me to say that word and say it often. There are days I think I overuse it. Must I thank the telemarketer who calls? But I do. “Thank you for calling. I’m not interested.” Really? I’m not only not interested, I most certainly am not grateful he or she called. But habits die hard and thanking people was ingrained in me from an early age.

Gratitude is something I’ve been thinking about a lot in these difficult economic times. In the past two years, I’ve lost a series of major clients, the ones who pay my regular bills, who keep the electricity and heat on. It’s been hand to mouth ever since because I haven’t been able to replace them.

That’s the gray cloud. This is the silver lining: I still have one major client and a pretty large number of clients who come to me now and then, as needed. They are the ones who have helped to pay my bills over the last couple of years, who have kept this sole provider able to provide services. This is my thank-you note to all of them.

Thank you for sending work my way. Thank you for being great clients, regular clients, clients with work that pays reasonably. If you’re not a freelance writer, you have no idea how many potential clients out there think you will be happy to write for less than minimum wage. Because isn’t it good of them to publish said writing? To them, I say, "No, thank you!"

And I try to make sure my clients know how grateful I am. Thanking them for work. Thanking them when their checks arrive. Taking time to send holiday cards, to have a non-job related conversation with them now and then. To not charge them every which way to Sunday. To occasionally go the extra mile by doing something for free or adding on a little lagniappe. In other words, to make sure they know I enjoy working with them.

Gratitude is so easy. It takes a second and it costs nothing and it pays major dividends. I love watching my young niece’s eyes light up when I hand her a cookie. “Thank you,” she says, eyes round and a big smile on her face. That’s how I feel about my clients—like I’ve just been handed the best chocolate chip cookie ever. Thank you! Very much!