| Author |
Across the Fence:  The Thank You Note  |
|
|
Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 31 2011 : 08:00:53 AM
|
In the news last night there was a report on thank you notes and how we have stopped writing them. Oh, we'll send a "thanks" in an email, but not the Thank you note with other words. A simple Thank you for the presents. Mom made us write them when we were kids for any gift we received. I admit that I was not fond of the practice, but as I look at my sleeping three month old, I think I will bring it back and start by doing more myself.
In the report, a man had sent 365 Thank You notes last year. He gave them out to the barristra that remembered his name, the mail lady, any one he felt a little gratitude towards.
What a great idea. So with the new year, I am going to remember those that have made my day or done something nice or simple with a thank you note.
Laurie
http://www.inntheorchardbnb.com/ |
|
|
ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4739 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4739 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2011 : 08:11:46 AM
|
I still hand write thank you's and mail them out. Of course I call whoever sent us a gift and Email my thanks too, but I still snail mail a card as well. I have my sons do the same. People always comment on how surprised they were when they get a thank you from one of my boys.
I co-hosted a bridal shower almost 2 years ago for my best friend's future daughter-in-law and just received a Thank you hastily written on a Christmas card! My best friend was out in NJ visiting her kids and I'm guessing she put a bug in their ear for having never acknowledged the bridal shower gifts!
Dawn in IL |
 |
|
|
FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
|
|
Annie S
True Blue Farmgirl
756 Posts
Annie
Custer
S.D.
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2011 : 09:50:08 AM
|
| Count me in too for sending a hand written thank you note for every gift I/we receive, besides an e-mail and call. Taught my kids to do the same and they too send notes. I even gets notes from my daughter for coming up to babysit her kids! DH's kids were never taught to do that. We have never received a thank you note from any of his kids for wedding gifts (no matter how many times they got married), birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, etc. His "ex" taught them instead that they "deserved" gifts from family and friends and that they'd better be big and expensive. Great thing to teach a child!!! Keep thinking that when they get our thank you notes that they will get the hint, but apparently it's not working and they aren't getting the hint. They in turn are not teaching their kids to have manners and writing to say thanks for the gifts they receive. We've even thought that we should just stop sending them all gifts and see what they say or do. What we have sent to his kids/grandkids doesn't seem to be appreciated - not when the grandkids say "is that all we get?" Anybody else have this kind of problem and what did you do to solve it or do you all just throw up your hands and give up? We are so ready to just not send any more gifts for anything until they can say thank you. How do others handle this? |
|
|
|
Emily Anna
True Blue Farmgirl
863 Posts
Emily
Fort Atkinson
WI
USA
863 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2011 : 09:50:58 AM
|
Wow! 365 Thank-yous? That is amazing! I love it! With all of this new technology, everything has become so impersonal. Kind of disheartening! Honestly, i'm not always good about sending out thank-yous and I know it's terrible. It's something i've been trying to be better about. Also, I like that you posted this....reminds me that you don't have to send thank-yous just for gifts!
Emily |
|
|
|
Annie S
True Blue Farmgirl
756 Posts
Annie
Custer
S.D.
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2011 : 09:58:54 AM
|
| Forgot to say too that besides a "goodie" bag of Christmas items we gave to our mail and newspaper carriers who have to brave the elements coming way out here, I gave them a Christmas card that said thank you for all their hard work this past year. They always deserve a really big thank you for going through the bad weather we have sometimes. Also do the same with the lady who does my hair (along with a little something) to say thanks for all she does during the year. |
|
|
|
Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2011 : 10:03:59 AM
|
We ALWAYS wrote thank yous for birthday stuff and especially for Christmas.
Was thinking about this the other day and the lack of cooth when I had set up a surprise community gift for someone when they left our work. This person had said a verbal thank you, but never did send a written one.
So sad |
|
|
|
Penny Wise
True Blue Farmgirl
1903 Posts
Margo
Elyria
OH
USA
1903 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2011 : 11:26:42 AM
|
i was brought up to write them; THOUGHT i brought my kids up to do same- when some graduation gifts went unthanked, their younger brother lost out!
i have a stack to write this weekend! thank you for this thread!
Farmgirl # 2139
proud member of the Farmgirls of the Southwest Henhouse
~*~ counting my pennies and biding my time; my dreams are adding up!~*~ |
|
|
|
graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2011 : 12:34:06 PM
|
This is a lovely post Laurie - thank you:) What a good idea to thank the people who we have contact with every day and really deserve some mention but may not get it. I know when I worked retail it really meant something to me if people told me, sincerely, that they appreciated my service etc.
This will inspire me to be more thoughtful in the true sense of the word.
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
|
|
|
|
Annie S
True Blue Farmgirl
756 Posts
Annie
Custer
S.D.
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2011 : 1:44:31 PM
|
Amy Grace, I'm with you about thanking service people. I always say a big thank you when they do something for me or when I check out. I see the cranky people they have to deal with and I feel so sorry that they have to put of with such people. I so hope that my saying some kind words to them and saying thank you makes up for the not nice people. Have also taught this to my daughter's kids and was so proud of them when we came up to the Salvation Army buckets outside stores and I gave them some $$ to put in. They said Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each person. They also said this to the sales clerk checking us out. Warmed my heart so much.
Laurie, saw the tv news with this story too and just wish they would show it more often during the year.
Also, sorry ladies for "whinning" in my previous post. This is just something that sticks in my craw and I can't get rid of it.
Happy New Year everybody.
|
|
|
|
Simply Satisfied
True Blue Farmgirl
427 Posts
Emily
Montana
USA
427 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2011 : 3:13:42 PM
|
I am well trained in writing thank yousbut find very few of my friends ever bother. I also find it funny that the women who still harp on me to write them, when I always write them and really don't need the reminding actually never send me one. Both my mother and grandmother apparently feel I should thank them but they don't need to bother thanking me. Not sure why that seems to be acceptable but I think it is so nice to do. I also think hostess gifts at parties are such a lovely touch but no one here seems to do it. The last party I went to I got a big hug for bringing them a simple bottle of wine. They just thanked me again today for being so kind at their party. I am really excited to take more time this year to thank people that are nice to me and my family. The first will actually be to a yarn store I visited Christmas eve where the shop owner who didn't know me and did know I live three states away thought of an easy project for me to add to my skills and showed me examples she had to get from the back and walk me through what to do. So nice for a customer and of course next time I visit I will be sure to buy some more. Today though a thank note.
Emily
Farmgirl # 3591 |
|
|
|
Sue Feely
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Sue
Buffalo
New York
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Jan 01 2012 : 09:33:15 AM
|
| I write thank you notes, I, myself like to receive them so why not send one for a variety of reasons, I kinda think they make someones day to see that someone has taken the time to actually write out and mail a note! |
|
|
|
Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jan 01 2012 : 09:34:29 AM
|
Our godson sent us a handwritten thank you the other day. His mother is my age, so I am happy to see a gen-Xer mom keeping on top of things.
This is the same kid who just 2 years ago was also illiterate. So I am exta proud 
He also sent a large piece of cake he made himself. This kid has potential. |
|
|
|
Annie S
True Blue Farmgirl
756 Posts
Annie
Custer
S.D.
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - Jan 01 2012 : 1:34:42 PM
|
Emily, just how sweet is that - a shop owner to take so much time with you - especially on Christmas Eve.
Got a thank you note from our mail carrier on Sat. saying how much she enjoyed the goodies I made and the personal Christmas card we made for her (we do all our cards now on the
computer - much cheaper than buying them). She really appreciated being thought of.
Anna, that is so encouraging about your godson and how much he's accomplished; and how wonderful that his mother is teaching him to be greatful by sending a thank you card. |
|
|
|
tangledthreads
True Blue Farmgirl
185 Posts
Michelle
Middle Tennessee
USA
185 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 08:44:12 AM
|
Thanks for the reminder of sending Thank You notes..I send some but should do better with it!!
*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´Michelle Farmgirl #85
You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
Mahatma Ghandi
Well behaved women rarely make history.
|
|
|
|
forgetmenot
True Blue Farmgirl
3602 Posts
Judith
Nora Springs
IA
USA
3602 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 08:48:31 AM
|
Oh, my...sad to say I needed this little reminder. I read basically the same story in our newspaper's Sunday magazine. Thanks for the push.
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the belief that something is more important than fear." Ambrose Red Moon |
|
|
|
Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 09:53:51 AM
|
Had a moment of panic when I almost thought one wasn't sent to our hostess for having us over to her place for our annual Sunday School party!
Thank goodness I had promised to also send a business card for a doctor she was interested in seeing, so I killed two birds at the same time.
Whew!  |
|
|
|
Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 10:00:59 AM
|
My next thank you is to hubby's cousin who came to babysit for us yesterday so we could go celebrate his birthday. It was the first real date we've had since the baby was born.
I understand those who never hear about gifts they send. Sometime my family can be the worst on that, but I decided that no matter what those gifts are coming from my heart and even if they don't acknowledge I enjoy giving. If the giving isn't fun anymore than it becomes a chore and I don't think gifts should be a chore any more than the Thank you note (kids don't count as they have to learn and everything can be a chore at first to them)
Laurie
http://www.inntheorchardbnb.com/ |
|
|
|
SusanScarlet
True Blue Farmgirl
317 Posts
317 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2012 : 1:00:01 PM
|
| This is definitely one of my pet peeves. I went to 4 baby showers in a two month period, I received one thank you note. I went out of respect for the grandmothers, I don't even know the mothers. Since we live far from family and long time friends, we have to mail most of our gifts. I have had to ask many times in phones calls a long time afterward if the gift was received. No verbal thank you, no written thank you, until I inquired. If I have to ask, I stop sending. It's just one of those things for this old Southern mannered girl. |
|
|
| |
Across the Fence: The Thank You Note |
|
The Thank You Note
