The Art of the Thank You… Note
Ever since I can remember, when I received a gift, I wrote a “thank you.”?Big gifts, small gifts… it didn’t matter. The handwritten thank-you note was sent usually within two days of receiving the gift.?When I was young, my mother, an elementary school teacher, reviewed them prior to sealing the envelopes. I even wrote drafts before sending them to ensure there were no “cross-outs” or mistakes, another habit I picked up from my mother.?It was simply what we did. When I was in high school, I had special note cards with my name imprinted on the front for that very purpose. They were called “informals” though I never understood why.
On the receiving end, it was nice to know that your thoughtfulness was appreciated.?Mind you, the message was never about the “gift” itself, it was always about the thought behind it.? In later years, when giving gifts to my family, we would often say to each other, “and, you don’t have to write a ‘thank you!’”?We usually did anyway.? It was always a nice surprise to find a stray note tucked away in a dresser drawer with the heartfelt message about the gift I gave my mother 20+ years earlier or one from my nieces and nephews, especially when they were very young.
Yet, has the thank-you note gone digital??
I have increasing sent and received many digital thank-you notes. In some ways, it's great because you know the person who sent it actually wrote the message you received. It's infinitely more acceptable than a pre-printed message stuffed in an envelope with not even a handwritten word. What's worse is when that same note is sent in an envelope with a pre-printed address label. Emily Post would not approve. [For those unfamiliar with who she is, I included a link!] However, that personal touch--putting pen to paper and carefully writing every word--is lost, as is the chance to find the message in your bottom drawer someday.
I send a digital "thank-you" to family or friends hosting impromptu get-togethers or to those who have mailed gifts to me (I want them to know I received it). But for Christmas and birthday gifts, and especially for special occasions, the traditional handwritten note with a tailored message prevails. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one.
What do you think??
One more thing... I sincerely thank you for reading this!
Author & Marketing Communications Copywriter
2 年I grew up writing thank-you notes too, Nancy, and have a vivid memory of personalized notecards with the illustration of an old-fashioned girl on the front with my first name spelled out to form her skirt. Although I didn't love writing these notes (you're right, they always went out within 2 days of receiving the gift), I came to understand the graciousness and the art attached to them (an art that seems almost lost these days). We had a friend over for dinner recently who sent a lovely, handwritten thank-you note afterward and I was so thrilled to receive it and touched that he had taken the time to write and send it. Thank you for this lovely piece! ?? ??