Say the thank you now. Some people move away, and some thank yous never find a forwarding address.

Gratitude tends to sit in your head as something you will get around to saying, and the assumption underneath is that the person stays reachable. People move, drift, change numbers, and sometimes there is no version of later. Nothing is lost by saying it early, and a good deal can be lost by waiting.

Think of a teacher, a coach, a neighbor or a friend’s parent who made a difference and has no idea. Send something short and specific this week, naming the actual thing they did. It does not need to be a speech, and it will land harder than you expect.