With the onset of computers and the lack of students learning cursive, many in the fine living and etiquette world fear the thank you’s will become a thing of the past.
In days gone by, a thank you was expected and even sent within 48 hours to be sure. Thank you cards were sent for everything from visits, to gifts to financial assistance and the list goes on and on. Thank you cards were handwritten, addressed and mailed. They were newsy and informative. They were interesting and noteworthy.
Every gift deserves a thank you but with snail mail becoming used less, and the lack of writing skills, the handwritten thank you is fast becoming a thing of the past. Some send nothing. Some call. Others possibly shoot an email and many use the texting program for a thank you and appreciation.
The best thank you in the world is the handwritten appreciation on paper. A heartfelt, “thank you” is warming and kind.
When my daughter and son-in law married, they received brooches from friends and relatives which would be made into a bouquet to carry down the aisle. We had such a time with the thank you situation for this because many of the brooches came in but without names on them or tags indicating who they were from. We had sent out a form letter requesting brooches and when they were returned, many came with a brooch and no writing of any kind. We had no way of knowing who sent it. There were so many and they came in so quickly, we lost control of the situation and ended up using Facebook to do a blanket “thank you”. How tacky and we knew it but we could not get a handle on it.
From that experience, we learned a few things and here they are:
1. Create a list of either those you’ve invited to an event or who would possibly participate.
2. As gifts come in, write down the person’s name or use your list to check off the name.
3. Within 48 hours, send a handwritten thank you letter.
4. In the event you could not thank everyone, write a general letter quickly to each person noted and offer a thank you for their love and participation. It is better for them to receive “something” and it be general than nothing at all.
5. By all means, send a thank you of some kind and the best time frame is within 48 hours.
Josie
