I have struggled this week with what to blog about as the Christmas Holiday is fast approaching and the new year not far behind it. As I reflect on the past year, I am very thankful that I have been able to practice plastic surgery in Austin. This is a great city with arts, culture, politics, plenty of live music, active outdoor activities and a collegial medical community. I have tried to structure seminars this year to offer informal settings for people in our community to learn more about plastic and reconstructive surgery. I look forward to planning more events along with my nurse Hayley and aesthetician Stephanie in the new year.
After each event that we host, I always sit down and hand-write thank you notes to everyone in attendance. I think this is a beautiful timeless tradition that requires a little bit of time, a stamp and a heartfelt appreciation for another person. In our era of rapidly changing technological advances and electronic communication (text messages, email, etc), it is easy to forget about the significance of a handwritten note. Trust me, I am guilty as well- I have several thank you notes to send to business associates for holiday gifts that have been received. It would be so easy for me to shoot an email out to say ‘thank you’ and have one less thing to worry about on the “to-do” list. But I stopped myself from doing so and yesterday evening, I sat down after dinner and took the time to think through my message, and hand write each note. I think there is still something very special about receiving a piece of handwritten mail…and usually much more enjoyable than receiving an invoice to add to the old accounts payable!
Warmest wishes to you and your family this holiday season and into the new year. If you have any suggestions about community educational seminar topics for 2012, please contact us! To read more about heartfelt and handwritten thank you notes, visit npr books for an enjoyable article.
Dr. Piazza
We always enjoy getting your hand written notes! Merry Christmas to you and your staff and here’s to an amazing 2012!
Scot
Thank you Scot-
I appreciate the feedback. It has been a pleasure working with you and your team at Live Oak Pharmacy. Wishing you a Happy New Year 2012!!
Rocco
How nice to know that writing thank-you notes is not a lost art, especially given your busy practice and the fact that you are involved in charitable causes. I commend you, Dr. Piazza, and your parents, as well. I’m guessing they provided a wonderful example for you. Best wishes to you and your wonderful staff for a blessed new year. Your surgical skill and care made the PAST year a great one for me!
Hi Lynn-
Thank you for your kind words. I have to say that writing thank you notes was something that was instilled in me by my parents even as a small child…along with manners…”Yes Sir”, “No Mam”. I am very fortunate that my parents did set a great example, but not only with thank you notes and manners– work ethic, integrity and honesty. It has been a pleasure getting to know. I am proud to be practicing in Southwest Austin. Warmest wishes to you and your family now and in the new year.
Rocco Piazza
I still send out thank you notes for presents, parties I attended or just a general thank you for any kind gesture. People are always amazed and surprised by it. It takes very little time but it means so much. It’s nice to see that the handwritten thank you note is still alive and well!
Thank you Cathy– I am so very glad you liked my blog post. I really appreciate your comment and want to reassure you that handwritten thank you notes are most definitely alive and well!
Rocco Piazza