The Fundamentals of Saying Thank You
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I would like to add an additional reason as to why a thank you note should be sent. It acknowledges the receipt of a gift. A gift was sent to my wife and I but delivered to a home one block from my home. House numbers were off by one digit and our last names were off by one letter! The fruit basket sat outside for one week until the giver telephoned us to ask if we had received it. When we answered in the negative, a replacement was quickly received, acknowledged, and enjoyed. Enough said.
I am a teacher of Business and Corporate Protocol and Etiquette as well as a teacher of cursive handwriting. Your Thank You note article is very much appreciated. I could tell you stories of the power of a Thank You note. The positive impact of a nicely written note is unmeasurable. Thanks so much for sharing this timely information. A thank you note blesses both the writer and the recipient.
I've always loved finding or making the perfect gift for family and friends' special occasions and have been fortunate to receive lovely thank-you notes. I am old enough to remember years ago, preceding the age of electronic communication, when hand-written thank-you notes were the only option. Taking the time to choose the appropriate card or stationery and composing a thoughtful note means so much.
My brothers, sisters and I were given thank you note stationery as Christmas gifts!! My Mum was Canadian, so Boxing Day was spent writing our thank you letters. This began the habit for us to write thank you notes for all occasions and which I continue to carry throughout my life.
Yes to Thank You notes ...... My kids would make a fuss when it came time to write them..BUT I told them IF they didn't want to write Thank You notes they should send a note to tell those people not to send them any more gifts...... Guess what .... Thank You notes were written and they survived and learned to be appreciative..... :)
I turned 70 this year, a most terrible year for all of us, when small expressions of kindness have come to have great significance. My siblings and I were brought up to write thank you notes, as many others were of our generation. My mother had beautiful cursive handwriting, learned in school, and I did my best to emulate her. I agree heartily that a short note of thanks to the person who thought of you, is indeed a treasure, and lends warm feelings to both parties! My niece by marriage writes notes of thanks for gifts to my young great-nephews (3 yrs and 6 mos), and addresses them to Aunt Donna; they never fail to make me smile, now that I am on the receiving end. With no children of my own, I cherish having little ones in my life, and my title of Aunt and Great-Aunt. I sincerely believe that these small courtesies should not be lost; politeness takes no effort, and yet the rewards are great.
Donna LaRocca
I always keep some cards for thank you notes. That way you have them on hand and can write them immediately. When my daughters were young, I also had equestrian themed cards that they used whenever they attended clinics or special lessons. On recieving a fairly large scholarship, my youngest daughter sent a thank you. The president of the organization mentioned it was the first time in his years of involvment they had recieved a hand written thank you. It made a lasting impression for her.
I, too, was taught by my grandmother and mother to always write a personal thank you note for receiving a gift or an act of kindness. I taught my son, at the age he began to write, to send thank you notes. He is a teacher now and has passed this along to his students.
My Mother taught us 3 kids to always write Thank You notes. In fact, she always taught us to send cards for any occasion. So I always continue to do this. My brothers do the same. She even supplied me with postage stamps as an adult. When she passed in 2015, I kept all her unused cards and stamps that she had bought. I had enough stamps for a good 2 years after her passing. She collected stickers and all cards that she sent had stickers on them. One of my brothers and myself kept her boxes of stickers and there must be over 1000 stickers, maybe more. It is real fun to find the perfect sticker to place on the Thank You card, Get Well, Birthday cards.
I have always written thank you notes. I taught my daughter the importance of noting a gift,
and she in turn has taught her elementary school son. I don't know why etiquette is not important anymore. I have never received a thank you note from some family members for wedding gifts and was really shocked, especially from a person my own age (70's) who should have known better.