Greetings,As the holidays are now well and truly over, if you have not finished (or begun) writing your thank you notes for all of the amazing gifts you've received during the season, now's the time to do so!!
"Thank you notes?" You might ask... "Why on earth for?"
And i can understand why, this art -which at one time was the norm for anyone who would be considered to have good breeding; is now falling out of common usage or is relegated to a simple email "Thanks" given in passing due to our harried schedules and busy lives. While i do believe that the ecard thank you has its place (It can be a god-send in those times when obtaining a mailing address is impossible) - i do not believe anything really and truly takes the place of the hand written tangible Thank you card. This is for a number of reasons:
1. The time and energy it takes to find, purchase (or make) and mail a card says "you're valuable to me".
2. The hand written note on the inside lends a personal touch and says "you're worth my time"
3. The acknowledgement itself says "i appreciate what you've done or given to me"
The Amazing Lady Catherine Gross once said that one should make it a habit not to receive anything without giving something. The art of the Thank you Note is a small but meaningful way of giving something to those who have given something to us, and i don't mean only tangible items!! Give thank you notes when someone takes you to lunch, speaks at one of your groups, helps you learn a new skill set, lends a shoulder to cry on, ...the list goes on and on. i'm sure as you consider it you may feel somewhat overwhelmed at how much you've actually received and how many thank you notes need to be written! Fear not! SSF is here to help you! :)
First some notes from the Etiquette Expert herself....Emily Post:
Being Thankful: A Thank-You Note Q&A
We all have to write thank-you notes. Take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone staring down your stack of cards and list of names. Before you start, remember that thanking people needs to be about just that: expressing thanks. So refocus, reorganize, and rethink the process. Get in touch with the sincerity of thanking people for thinking about you and sending you something—even if it’s a hot pink polyester sweater. Here at the Emily Post Institute, we’ve assembled some simple answers to the most commonly asked questions about the post-holiday thank-you note blues.
Who needs a note?
Who should write the note?
The person who received the gift should write the note. Group notes are acceptable for Aunt Patty who sent the household a group present—just ask each recipient to sign. For couples, it’s perfectly fine to split up the notes for gifts you received together.
When should thank-you notes be written?
Write your notes as soon as possible, and don’t hesitate if you feel you’re late: a late note is always better than no note at all.
Can a thank-you note be creative?
Absolutely. Incorporating photos, children’s drawings—anything at all that compliments the sentiment is appropriate. Just remember to include a short written thank-you as well.
What about e-mail?
The reality of email thank-you’s, much like email itself, is a degree of emotional distance: an email to your grandmother is simply not as personal as a note written in your own hand. So if you have a casual relationship with the gift giver and you correspond via email regularly, an email thank-you may be appropriate. For most other people, the written thank-you is your best bet for an expression of warm, heartfelt thanks. The last thing you want is for someone to be disappointed when her hand-knit scarf is acknowledged with a loud, animated e-card.
How do I make writing thank-you notes fun?
We all love getting presents and are sincerely thankful, but some of us procrastinate terribly when it’s time to write notes. One friend, bemoaning the fact that she had to write not only her notes to far-flung family and friends, but also notes for her three children and her husband, hit upon a brilliant idea.
She had a party. On a Sunday afternoon in January, she invited her husband and their kids to the kitchen table. Everything was ready: note paper, pens, pencils, crayons, envelopes, address book, stamps and lists. The smallest (ages 4 - 6) drew pictures of their gifts, and Mom and Dad added dictated captions and thank you’s. The 7-8 year olds wrote one or two sentences, practicing new writing skills. The 9-and-olders were able to work more or less independently. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad helped with spelling words and addressing, and, in the quiet moments, wrote a few notes themselves.
When everyone was finished, there was hot cider and banana bread. My friend was amazed at how successful the afternoon was. The kids were involved, the notes were done and the family had time to be together and talk about their holiday, friends and relatives. And a new family tradition was born.
If you’re on your own, break up the list. Schedule a few different days to write your notes, and each time give yourself a little something to make it interesting: music, a glass of wine, your favorite radio show, a cup of tea—perhaps even some chocolate. Take the time to yourself for writing out thank-you notes: don’t try and wedge it in between laundry, a TV show and extra work from the office. You’ll be able to think more clearly and your focus will translate to the page. Above all, try to enjoy yourself. Giving thanks shouldn’t be a chore—and doesn’t have to be if you make the effort to keep it interesting.
Now for some GREAT Books! :
The Art of Thank you - Crafting Notes of Gratitude by Corrine Leas
101 Ways to say Thank You- Notes of Gratitude for All Occasions -by Kelly Browne
The Thank you Book by Robyn Spizman
All of these books are available at Amazon.com
Also gather some things together so you are always prepared! You never know when you may receive an unexpected gift or generosity, and if you are prepared you are more likely to send the note. Find a smallish box. One of those boxes made for storing photos works well. Go to a local craft store and pick up a few different packs of Thank you notes. (Tip: They are very reasonably priced there). Buy some pretty pens, stickers, a bit of ultrafine glitter. These can be used to jazz up the card itself (with glitter accents) or the envelope. If your style tends towards the elegant, splurge on some sealing wax and a seal for that lovely touch. Also add a book of stamps. Now you've got everything gathered together so when you need to write that note you won't have to hunt around for things.
Also you may find a "Thank you Tracker" to be a GREAT addition to your Butler's Book, i know i have! Simply create an excel spreadsheet with columns for the date, Gift or Good deed, From and sent. This will enable you to see who sent what when and if you've acknowledge it with the proper thank you.
Although created for baby gifts this one can give you a good idea of what i'm speaking of: http://www.organizedfromthestart.com/downloadable_files/BabyBriefcaseThankYouNoteTracker.pdf
and here's another one that can be used as is: http://familyfun.go.com/printables/thank-you-note-tracker-783794/
So tell me, who do you need to say thank you to? Do you have any unique ways of giving thanks? Tips to share?
~Serve Well!!
Simple Abundance, Home Comforts and Martha Stewarts Housekeeping Book
