The Importance of the Thank You Note

Do thank you notes really matter in this day of instant messaging, texts and emails? Is a quick text with a thumbs up, 👍🏼 or “TY” rather than a hand written note, a sufficient way to respond to a gift, a dinner party or a job interview? There was a time when a hand written thank you note reflected greatly on the sender, as one who exhibits good manners, upbringing, consideration and thoughtfulness. It was an expected gesture and those who didn’t follow this social expectation were thought of as rude, selfish and probably excluded from future gatherings.

When I was a project manager, I was responsible for supervising staff and I often interviewed potential employees for open positions in our unit. I probably conducted several dozen interviews during my time in that position. Only twice did I receive a thank you note after the interview from potential employees. I hired them both. There were equally qualified applicants in the running, but the thank you note displayed a level of consideration and conscientious that the other candidates didn’t make.

Shirley Riley, The Paris Correspondent has this to share about thank you notes:

I am sometimes embarrassed to admit that I am a person who absolutely loves receiving gifts; loves hearing the back story of how a gift was chosen and loves showing appreciation for the kindness of the gift giver. I learned a long, long time ago that receiving a gift does not – or at least should not – end at The Opening. Rather, that is the beginning of a cycle of appreciation and gratitude that makes the gift giving worth the thought and effort.

My earliest memory of learning the importance of writing thank you notes is when I was a five year old. (I won’t mention how long ago that was). We were stationed in Germany as my dad was in the military. Gifts or cards had a long journey before reaching us. Christmas morning was a big deal at our home and present opening quite the lengthy process of joy, fun and laughter. I recall that year I received a beautiful German pram for my dolls – and probably planned to play with it all afternoon. My mother had other ideas.

After lunch she sat my older sister and I down at a table stacked with paper, crayons and pencils and had us write a note or draw a picture to express our thanks too anyone who sent a gift. She said it would make people so happy to know we liked our presents. No playing until that was accomplished. My older sister had gorgeous penmanship (not a word we often hear these days) so would write her thanks in script. I drew pictures to show how much I loved whatever was sent (although as I grew older, I ultimately wrote my thank you notes). This dance was repeated every holiday and birthday until it became a a habit.

We would often hear from Grandma or Aunt Val or whomever, how much they appreciated our notes or drawings. That meant a lot. Receiving a gift, then acknowledging a gift, and then hearing how much that gratitude meant is like a cycle of happiness. Writing thank you notes became a routine for the rest of my life. Thanks, Mom!

Thank you, Shirley, for sharing your thoughts.

Like Shirley, my mom made sure I, and my siblings, wrote thank you notes for gifts, special outings or thoughtful gestures. And, like Shirley, it became a life long habit.

Most of our friends also send thank you notes, but I don’t think it’s a generational thing. Over the years, we have received thank you notes from our daughter’s friends for various activities and outings we treated them to.

There are two types of stores we cannot resist when we travel; bookshops and stationary shops. There are several small, locally operated stationary stores in our neighborhood; Oblation is a favorite of ours.

They carry a wide variety of cards, stationary, pens, ink, wax seals and more to enhance your letter writing experience.

Another is Ecru, also with a wide variety of cards, stationary and local items.

Handwritten notes display a specific warmth and personal connection that isn’t conveyed through a computer screen or text message. So visit your local stationer, stock up on cards and stationary, and send someone a little love today; it’s never too late to say thank you!

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Thank you for reading and your continued support! 😊

Tricia