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gratitude
October 2009 
Thank you notes
Posted on Jun 29th, 2009
by 
martha
martha
When I was a kid, all required gratitude could fit on to a pretty little paper like that. Even if I didn't feel gratitude, the drill was to write about it.
Dear Aunt Prissy,
Thank you for the pretty socks. They will look nice with my shoes. Thank you very much.
Love,
Martha
And this would take HOURS.
Making my kids do something similar was even worse. I really sympathized with them when they cried about it. Why not just let them say "thank you" over the phone? So I did. Feeling guilty about it, I did that. I felt I was breaking a longstanding rule with some moral significance. But since I couldn't determine what that moral significance was, I changed the play book.
But I went back to the little squares of paper (although they don't like quite like the one above) to express thanks to those who helped our family during our recent hard times. I suppose it's a case of stress, necessity, and the path of least resistance. It was necessary for me to put gratitude into writing. I'm glad there is a socially accepted form for doing this, because if there weren't, I'd have to invent one. And what will my children do? I'll have to let them figure that out.
Dear Aunt Prissy,
Thank you for the pretty socks. They will look nice with my shoes. Thank you very much.
Love,
Martha
And this would take HOURS.
Making my kids do something similar was even worse. I really sympathized with them when they cried about it. Why not just let them say "thank you" over the phone? So I did. Feeling guilty about it, I did that. I felt I was breaking a longstanding rule with some moral significance. But since I couldn't determine what that moral significance was, I changed the play book.
But I went back to the little squares of paper (although they don't like quite like the one above) to express thanks to those who helped our family during our recent hard times. I suppose it's a case of stress, necessity, and the path of least resistance. It was necessary for me to put gratitude into writing. I'm glad there is a socially accepted form for doing this, because if there weren't, I'd have to invent one. And what will my children do? I'll have to let them figure that out.
Access: PublicTagged with: gratitude, thank you notes
Handwritten notes are the only way to go. I love writing them…I love receiving them. To me a good note is an art form…like a flower blooming…or a heart opening up.
btw….I played that C&W cd you sent me a while back this morning while I was going for my coffee….it made me think of you and Mike. I don't generally listen to C&W music….but, today I had to smile.
I really enjoyed reading this post, Martha and giggled at your note about the socks. Yes, my generation had to write thank you notes to everyone. It was so hard to think up something nice to say about some hideous scratchy sweater they knit for you. Yikes! I would wiggle in the chair, and complain, but had to sit there till I completed it. My mother would encourage me but no wiggling out of it. I like the civility of it all, the good manners, but I am Old and Old School. My grandchildren, age 8 and 5, make their own cards for thank you and birthdays. I am proud of my daughter for teaching them to take time, and put their time and talents into hand producing a birthday or thank you card. Like maze, I love to get “reading mail” –oh ya, and “money mail” - like in birthday cards. WhooHoo!
I am reading along Martha and realize that I type thank-yous with easy. I hand write them with difficulty. It is all the fuss with envelopes and stamps that gets to me - not really the writing.
Lovely to see some have mastered and are teaching the practice. Sometimes only a formal thank you letter of gratitude will do.
Very nice blog Martha.
THANK YOU!
Retired teacher gives “thank you” letter to people who offer their seats up on the bus
http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3735 (Received in this morning's emails. - nice little article)
It's a wonderful thing.
You are putting in and sharing your own energy with those you send the handwritten things to.
I'm sure everyone will appreciate that in this day and age, that you took the time to pen a note of gratitude =)
Love YouuU~~~<3
OMG JW UR DOG IZ GREEN!