Thank You Notes

I was raised to write thank you notes for all sorts of gifts and graciousness while growing up. A note to the grandparents, aunts and uncles for Christmas gifts, to friends and family for birthday, graduation and eventually wedding gifts; and in my professional life to those who offered money to my causes or acts of kindness that I was able to use in my professional career.

After writing these notes for probably over 40 years, I have grown tired of this task. It could be that I have so many creative ideas to encompass and then I have to consider that I don't have the time to implement them that it distresses me. I also have a handwriting disability and don't care to write without a keyboard very much. Also, maybe now that it costs almost 50 cents to mail a thank you, couldn't I just send a text or email thank you instead? Another inhibitor is just the general boring nature of the thank you note, "Dear family member, Thank you so much for the blah-blah. I've enjoyed it so much and can't wait to enjoy it again. I will treasure it forever. Thank you again. Love, Alecia." What else is there to say besides making up some far-out way that I will enjoy it? I try to intersperse a bit of personality/drama/lifestyle into the note to hopefully make it better reading, but "dull" is just the way I would describe it.

But then, there's the plus side to the thank you note. The receiving of it. Snail mail has become so passe in the past ten years or so that it has become much more exciting to receive a piece of personal mail than it was in the past. Just reading a hand-written note makes it all worthwhile to the recipient, and that's why I still begrudgingly write thank you note after every Christmas, birthday or other special gift is received, and encourage my children to do the same. The benefit is definitely worth the effort. Got to go write them for 2012 Christmas gifts right now.