Thank You Notes

By Emily Donehoo

At Christmas, the least expensive gift we can give each other is the gift of thankfulness. 

I have a few thank you notes for those who rarely hear a thank you at Christmas time. 

I hope you don’t mind if I share them with you.   

Thank you, Elf on the Shelf, for that extra thing on my to-do list, and your creepy stares. My children and I love our new nightmares.

Thank you, Amazon Prime, not only do you sound like Optimus Prime’s brother, but you also provide free two-day shipping.

Thank you, stretchy pants, for understanding.

Thank you, screaming stuffed monkeys, for delighting my 4-year-old for hours. You are the gift that keeps giving… me headaches and episodes of rage.

Thank you, Egg Nog, for not being the worst-sounding name for a food item. Lookin' at you, Fatback.

Thank you, Jimmy Fallon, for understanding that imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

Thank you, Hallmark Movies, for inspiring my husband to go hang the Christmas lights.

Thank you, Mary, for not laughing when we sing Silent Night. 

The donkey ride to Bethlehem? Girl, we drive back to Michigan every other year for Christmas. It’s 20 hours in a smooth-riding minivan with Chick-fil-A stops and a middle of Nebraska Motel 6 bed. And I have never given birth immediately after that trip, much less an epidural-less virgin-birth in a cave/barn.

Thank you, moms, everywhere, for showing up and working hard. You do incredible things this time of year. 

You hunt and search for the perfect presents. You take care of ALL of the people—the neighbors, the friends, the cousins, the nieces, the nephews, the children, the mailman… You survive baking with children so calmly that they have happy memories of those times and will grow up to long for the days of baking with their own children. You remember the cupcakes and gifts for your parties, your husband’s parties, AND your children’s parties. On top of that, you remember to make those donations, pick up the paper plates for the class celebration, and mail out the packages and the cards. You plan the menu, get the groceries, and cook the meals. In return, you might get squeals of joy and laughter. 

You might get “Mommy, you awe da best cook evuh. I yove dis dinnew.” You might get snuggles and kisses and “I yove you so much!” OR You might get a major tantrum because you gave him the green one, and he really wanted the blue one. You might get pieces of tissue paper glued together to make the ugliest Christmas ornament you’ve ever seen. You might get sneezed on when your child goes in for a hug or kiss. You might get lice and explosive diarrhea. Who knows.  You’re a mom, so you roll the dice. Thank you, mom, for being a gambler.

Seriously, though, ladies, we see you. God sees you. God sees your work and your dedication to Him and your families. You are not alone in your toil. You are making memories. Thank you. (Like, for real.)

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”  - Colossians 3:23-24

Most importantly, Lord, we thank you for the gift of your Son and the Amazing Grace He brought with Him into this world.

Merry Christmas, friends. Praying that your hearts may be full of gratefulness and gracefulness this Christmas season.


Emily Donehoo is the only female in a family of five. She is a former High School English Teacher and National Trainer for the College Board. These days, when she isn’t scrubbing toilets, administering timeouts, working at book fairs, attempting to tackle dinner, laundry, homework help, dishes, and a preschooler’s incessant questions, she writes authentically about the hard stuff that really matters, hoping to uncover the truth that God has for us whether it makes us cry from laughter, pain or both at the same time.