Farmgirl Gratitude Merit Badge, Intermediate Level

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 5,558 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—7,822 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ

For this week’s Each Other/Farmgirl Gratitude Intermediate Level Merit Badge, I threw myself (with reckless abandon, I might add) into the Thanksgiving spirit. No, not the mashed potato and cranberry sauce spirit (though I do throw myself into those with—you guessed it—reckless abandon) but the real Thanksgiving spirit.

Giving thanks.

In real, tangible ways, too, not just in passing. I settled down with another few chapters of the book, The Book of Awesome, which is required reading for this badge. And before you ask, no, it’s not my autobiography.

*tee hee

Anyway, after I closed the book with an ever-so-satisfying thump (Am I the only one who loves the final thump of a most excellent book? Yes? Hello? Anyone?), I pulled out my stationery set, the monogrammed one with the matchy-matchy envelopes, and my favorite set of colored pencils, markers, crayons, Sharpies, pastels, and fine-point pens. What? So I go a little crazy on Black Friday at the office supply store … if that’s wrong, I don’t want to be right.

Another part of earning this badge was to write a letter to someone in a service industry in my town. I nibbled on my #2 pencil as I thought about who to send my thank you letter to. I usually left muffins and goodies for the mail person and the garbage man the week of Christmas, and just the other day, I brought a latte to my favorite nurse at my local doctor’s office, so I thought I’d better spread the goodwill around, you know? Who hadn’t I thought of?

And then I had it! The fire station. Under-appreciated and overworked, I just knew they’d love a little pick-me-up in the form of a well-penned letter from Yours Truly. They’d probably thumb-tack it up on their bulletin board and read it lovingly every time they passed by on their way to jump down the fire pole and save humanity. I was getting warm fuzzies just thinking about it.

Dear Sirs and Madams of the Fire Department,

Thank you, brave ladies and gentlemen, for the tireless and brave work you do to keep my little town safe. Day in and day out, you put your life on the line (and keep a fantastically shiny truck, to boot). I always rest assured that every blaze is under control when you’re around. My heartfelt appreciation and thanks for getting through the wildfire season, and also for coming to the aid of my elderly neighbor when I thought she had fallen to her death, even though it turned out she was only doing yoga in her front yard (sorry about that).

Also, on a personal note, thank you for responding so speedily that time I sort of, accidentally, very nearly burned down half the town. I am always very careful to remove my potholder collection from the stovetop now, and I only light scented candles on very special occasions and with witnesses who can remind me to blow them out.

Stay safe out there!

Sincerely,

Jane.

Now to decide whether to address it to Mr. January or Mr. April …