Writing Thank You Notes

By Anna from England

My mother always had her hands full trying to get us to write thank you notes to relatives and friends.

I used to dread the after-the-holiday sessions where we were promptly sat down at the table, furnished with pencils and paper and then coaxed to write. Trying to get a child to write a letter is a task in itself so tackling the thank you was a big hurdle.

It wasn't quite like writing a letter because the sole purpose of the exercise was to say thank you. How can you fill a whole page when you could say it in one sentence? It was always a chore and a bore for me, and I seemed to end up writing the same note over and over again.

When we were older we got printed thank you cards and simply had to add a line about the specific gift we received which made life a lot easier for me. It was quite a relief actually because all I had to do was write that one sentence that said it all and didn't have to stretch it into a whole paragraph. Writing thank you notes wasn't such a drudge after that, though my childish mind still considered it ate into valuable play time.

As an teen, I continued the tradition of writing out notes of thanks in preprinted cards. I went a step further when I reached adulthood and bought more elaborate cards with sappy sentiments and merely signed my name to them. It really had gotten to the point where I didn't really think about it, but at least I had sent my thanks for gifts received. I'd done my duty and that was that...or was it?

I wrote thank you cards and sent them out and I got similar ones in return for gifts I'd given. So what was the problem? As I opened the cards sent to me, reading the sentiment and eyeing the signature, I found myself wondering if the recipient was as pleased receiving my gift as I was in selecting it. Oh. Suddenly the image of my mother standing over us trying to instill in us the importance of writing a proper thank you came flooding back.

It only took 40 years for it to sink it but I finally got the message. Oddly enough, I don't find it such a daunting task to write my thank yous anymore. Wondering what my friends and family thought about gifts I had put time and effort into purchasing lent a bit of insight into what to write. Now I sit down with my blank cards and write with confidence, because I write what I would like to hear in response to a gift I have given.

What do I write? First I say thank you for the gift, a thank you that includes appreciation for remembering a special day. Second, I tell the giver how I've used or intend to use the gift. Third, I comment on the color or the choice of gifts and how it suits me. Then, if I can, I send a photo of me opening the gift or using the gift. A simple little recipe to follow that produces a thoughtful note of thanks; a thank you that even mom approves of.