"Thank you" vs. "Grateful"...Do you know the difference?

“Thank you” can follow something as simple as a door held open. “Grateful” is when a child has wandered off at the mall and someone gets him/her back to the loving arms of a parent(s). We confuse thank you and grateful sometimes.

So, what’s my point and why am I especially aiming it at women? Good questions! Here's why: You are married or single, moms or moms to be, entrepreneurs, professionals, homemakers and more. You control 85% of all purchasing done in the U.S. (household, personal). Women are more responsible for charitable contributions than men. Are men generous too? They sure are. Am I saying women are more generous? Statistically…yeah, they are. So, getting back to “grateful” and why I’m reaching out to all of you…

There’s an organization called USA Cares that keeps military families who are on the brink of financial abyss from sinking. They offer a “hand-up” to get them stabilized. These are active duty folks…men, women and their families. Their sacrifice isn’t merely their service (which is sacrifice enough). Long deployments and physical compromise can bring financial sacrifice…trouble they didn’t bargain for.

We all thank are armed forces for keeping us safe and free to pursue the best lives possible for ourselves and those we hold dearest. That thanks is sincere, but it’s not the same as grateful...

I am in the final two weeks of a campaign that benefits USA Cares. I work with Somebody’s Mother’s Chocolate Sauce (PR & Marketing). I choose who I want to work with and I'm tireless about fulfilling the promise of things I believe in. Lynn Lasher is the Founder/CEO of SMCS. Her concept, “The Simple Things” campaign, is about someone (or persons), that touched your life for the better. A $5 donation to USA Cares gives those donating a chance to write a letter of tribute…and possibly win $500 retail gift cards.

We agreed this campaign needed to be about USA Cares, not Somebody’s Mother’s. I see the promise of USA Cares and I have been commited to it around the clock. We started against a backdrop of massive Middle East unrest, an earthquake/tsunami in Japan, budget showdowns, more natural disasters, rising gas prices, etc. Despite that, we have won national and regional coverage in support of this wonderful cause: http://www.somebodysmothers.com/news/
There has been celebrity and high profile support (and more on the way) yet despite all this, the effort has only garnered modest success thus far...

I am asking you to help me convey gratitude to those who’ve earned it. You all reach family, friends, business associates, strangers, readers, fans, etc. You are on Facebook, Twitter, Google Share and an array of other social media outlets. We all have the power to reach people and touch lives for the better. Please donate if you can, write those letters of tribute, win gift cards…and please, please, please…if you can’t do any of that personally, you CAN share this with others and implore them to show true gratitude. The contest ends on May 5th. Time is short. Here is a link to the contest page and to USA Cares. All winners can redeem gift cards with any of SMCS’ retail partners (online or in person…and most ship anywhere): http://bit.ly/simplethingscontest

Our efforts matter. That's an awesome gift we get to share with the world. The minutes you spend on this will change lives. http://usacares.org/
Cheers, Thom