Monday, December 14, 2009

Grab a Christmas cookie and coffee, it's time to chat.

Several years ago, a bride wrote to Miss Manners asking if she really needed to send thank you cards to everyone who sent her a gift. Couldn't she just attach a thank you blurb to their party favor at the reception?

Miss Manners responded frankly: choosing not to send a thank you note communicates to the giver of each gift that his thought, time, and money spent to select a gift for you was not worth five minutes of writing and a postage stamp.

Have you ever sent a gift to someone in the mail, and you anxiously await her call or note to see if she liked it? And then, you wonder if she even got it? Maybe it got lost in the mail? Maybe you wrote the wrong address. Maybe she just didn't like it and doesn't know what to say.

But, we rarely think ourselves rude while we neglect our thank yous. It's happened to all of us--time slips away, and we just never take the moments to send a note of gratitude for the kindness someone has shown us.

Christmastime revives us with kindness and joy and generosity. Let it also renew in us a readiness to acknowledge the kindnesses shown to us through gifts. Generosity and gratitude go hand in hand. Let's set our minds to give and receive with joy!



















Here are some thank you cards for inspiration! Our newest florals -- A Year of Flowers Calendar Sets 1,2, and 3-- would make gorgeous gratitude notes! Personally, I think the Thank You set is an essential. I would love to see the 'thank yous' you make. Feel free to post them in the comments for us to 'ooo' and 'aaah' over!



Thanks for stopping by!

4 comments:

Cheri said...

I remember as a child, Mom would "make" us write thank yous to everyone who gave us a gift, regardless of the occasion. I remember I thought it was such a boring chore when I had already told them thank you in person. Now, I really appreciate Mom teaching me that particular skill. It's definitely a lost art, though!

Here are some projects on my blog that I tagged as "thank you"s. =D

Anonymous said...

Thanks Jan Marie for such beautiful creations.Wish you a Merry Christmas n New Year Eve in advance.

Cheers!!
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Sabrina said...

Had to smile reading this, as only yesterday I was feeling a bit cross that a colleague of DH's, who is also a personal friend since we had him as a teen in a youth-club many years ago, still hasn't sent a thank-you for his wedding present. I think thank-yous are so important - a card would be lovely, but even an email, phone-call or text. Something to say - your gift arrived, thank you..I still remember the ZIP code for my great aunts in Canada, from sending thank-you notes twice a year when I was small, and they must be dead twenty-five years or more now.
And who wouldn't love to receive one of those beautiful cards you have shared with us.

Unknown said...

I soooo agree with your blog - written Thank You's are still so very relevant. my pet peeve? TEXTING sentiments like Thank You, Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, etc. I find it soooooo rude! My son is 11, and he sends Thank You cards. it only takes a couple of minutes.