Fr. James Martin received a handwritten thank you note from Pope Francis after passing along some of his books to the Pope.  His reflection on receiving this note is a good reminder for all of us:

If Pope Francis can take time out of his unbelievable schedule to write a handwritten note to someone he’s never met, then I can surely find time to express my gratitude more fully to others. Getting a note today from the Pope did something strange to me: It made me want to be more generous. Friends had told me that the Pope rises early (someone said before 5 a.m.) and I imagine him sitting at his desk in his little room, writing many notes to a variety of people. And I thought of how stingy I can be with my own time. Maybe you feel something of the same when you see this note. (By the way, you’ll see that the Pope even took the time to neatly address the envelope.)

Bottom line: If the Pope can find time to be kind to others, if he can pause to say thank you, if he can take a moment make someone feel appreciated, then so can I. So can we.