About
Most people don’t struggle with appreciation because they don’t care.
They notice the effort. They feel grateful. They think about sending the note, making the call, or saying something meaningful.
Then life gets busy. The moment passes. What they felt never reaches the other person.
The Appreciation Minute explores that gap between caring and communicating—and what changes when appreciation becomes something we practice, not just something we feel.
Why I’m writing this
I’m Desiree Townsend, a writer, speaker, and the Founder & Creative Director of Yay! Gifts and Cards.
I began this work through personalized gifts, but over time I realized the gift itself wasn’t what interested me most. It was the moment behind it: one person wanting another to feel seen, valued, or remembered.
Again and again, I saw the same thing. The intention was there. The action wasn’t.
Sometimes people were busy. Sometimes they didn’t know what to say. Sometimes they assumed the other person already knew.
That left me with a question I couldn’t stop thinking about:
Why do we so often appreciate people more than they know?
The Appreciation Minute grew from that question.
What you’ll find here
This publication looks at appreciation across work, business, community, friendship, and family.
Some pieces begin with a personal story. Others explore leadership, recognition, belonging, mattering, or the habits that shape our relationships. You’ll also find practical ideas for expressing appreciation in ways that feel specific and genuine.
Underneath all of it is a simple practice:
Notice what someone did.
Name why it mattered.
Act before the moment disappears.
No grand gestures required. No perfect words, either.
Just a willingness to let appreciation reach the person it belongs to.
If that sounds like something you want to practice more intentionally, you’re in the right place.
Beyond the page
Writing is one way I explore these ideas. I also bring them into conversations with businesses, teams, and community organizations through speaking and workshops.
Through Yay! Gifts and Cards, I help organizations turn those intentions into action—whether that means planning a meaningful recognition moment, creating a personalized keepsake, or finding a better way to thank the people who matter to them.