Nov. 20 - Novel Gratitude

Day 323 of a year of kindness

Today was one of those days. This afternoon a pipe underneath my kitchen sink burst and sprayed water everywhere. We had to call for professional help! Thankfully, Derrick from HomeServe arrived quickly and repaired the pipe.

Afterwards, he and I stepped outside to turn the water back on and walked right past my gratitude pumpkin. I grabbed my black marker. Since Oct. 1, I’ve been adding words of gratitude to my pumpkin as a reminder to be grateful.

“What’s your title?” I asked him.

“Master plumber,” he said.

So that’s what I wrote on the pumpkin. I told him that I was very, very grateful for master plumbers - and for him. He laughed, saying that no one had ever expressed it in quite that way.

I’ll follow-up with his company and give him a rave review as well. When your kitchen is flooding and someone cheerful and professional steps in to stop the madness, it feels like a miracle. I hope he felt appreciated.

Science of Kindness: Research shows that words of gratitude create higher job satisfaction. During a stressful event gratitude helps shift focus from crisis to connection. And gratitude that is unique - like writing on a pumpkin - makes it more memorable and more likely to inspire reciprocal kindness. #BeKind #KindnessCounts #KindnessCounts2025 #kindnessmatters #gratitude #homeserveUSA