Sep 10, 2010
Is saying "thank you" too old fashioned?
I sure hope not!
As far back as I can remember my mom made my sisters and I write thank you cards. Even before we could write our own name. She would give us a piece of paper and we'd draw or color a picture for whomever gave us the gift.
Now that I am older and am more on the giving side I understand what it means when someone says thank you. I don't give to receive a thank you or a pat on the back but there's a certain etiquette I fear we may be losing. Now I understand there are circumstances that can prevent thank you notes from happening. Anyone that sent something to little man after he was born didn't receive one, I'm embarrassed to say. I was alone (hubby was out of town) in taking care of a newborn for the first time and completely overwhelmed. I'm still upset at myself for not sending those few out.
Around this past April and May we received the usual graduation invitations. We sent money accordingly. I was surprised at who we never received a thank you note or a verbal thank you from! (not even a facebook thank you) Again that's not why we gave the money but it's just manners to do so. Maybe it's just a southern thing or a change in times. But I really hope that we don't lose the art of showing gratitude. I hope that we are not too consumed in ourselves or that we feel a sense of entitlement to what people give us, that we can't take 5 minutes out of our day to say thank you. (that reminds me I have a thank you card I keep meaning to mail!) :)
I am stepping off my soap box now. Back to our regular blogging program.
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Apparently it's gone out of fashion. Last year, come to think of it this year too, we didn't get one thank you card from anyone. Sad thing is my stepdaughter never sent her thank you's last year when she graduated, despite me reminding her several times.
ReplyDeleteNope, you are not old fashioned! I feel the same way. We hardly ever receive thank you notes anymore. It is really too bad.
ReplyDeleteIt has gone out of fashion, I'm sorry to admit. Although I am pretty reliable about sending them, I don't make my kids write theirs yet, and I probably should!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you. I think our society definitely needs to practice this more.
ReplyDeleteMonica
ReplyDeleteI will share i am absolutely terrible about this. I was never taught to do this as a child, and so now as an adult I forget to tell people how much I appreciate their time spent on whatever they did, or bought.
Its no excuse I know but it is a task, a job to remember to say it. I am better at showing my appreciation!
Angie
http://helpmeettosam.com
Writing Thank Yous was something I did as a kid and still do to this day. My mom had my sister and write thank yous for our Christmas gifts and our birthday gifts and for other various things. When I was young I hated it, it was just one more boring thing I "had" to do. Now, I love it. It feels good to let someone know that I appreciate what they did for me. It really is too sad that our society has gone away from this. I think this is a tribute to why many kids don't appreciate things, they simply don't know how.
ReplyDeletemy mom always had us write thank you notes, and i have my boys do it too (my older one can write a simple sentence, and my baby colors/scribbles and i write something on the paper). i think it's so important to be thankful, and have done my best to help my boys learn to say thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm totally with you here. I have always had my son write thank-you's and still do. And I write them myself. And in a timely manner. I have nieces that will sometimes send a thank you (if at all) 5 months later!! I sincerely hope this common courtesy has not gone away.
ReplyDeleteAlly
You are not the only one who feels this way :) I remember writing hundreds of thank you cards after our wedding and after Noah was born. I felt guilty for the few that I missed. Even now, I sent thank you cards to my clients when I do a shoot. I've received the sweetest thank you's for SENDING thank you's :)
ReplyDeleteI've always taken the time to write thank you notes for everything. And if i didn't find the time I would send an email or text. I've been to a few weddings where we did not receive a thank you. Sad.....
ReplyDeleteI find it amusing that I was just writing thank you's tonight for our baby gifts and then I hopped over here and read this. :) I totally agree with you and my kids are learning that it's the polite thing to do to write a little thank you when someone does something for you.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you and always try and send thank you notes! I also happen to create some myself - if you are interested you can check them out at:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.etsy.com/shop/fionadesigns?section_id=6817548
Cheers!
Fiona