Have Thank You Notes Become a “Lost Art”?

Thank you
Since the season of gifts and giving recently passed, I guess I’m more aware that “thank you” and thank you notes (even e-mails) have become a lost art or lost courtesy. When we received gifts, or even were shown acts of kindness and consideration, my mom had us children write thank you notes. 

Each year, the day after Christmas, Mother had us four children sit at the dining table and write notes to whomever had given us gifts.  Even as Mother was entering ther Alzheimer’s years, she’d still remind me that we had to write thank you notes when someone gave her a gift or did a favor.  This became so ingrained in me, it’s become almost automatic that I think, “I must write a thank you note.”  And I look for pretty note paper for this.

However, I’ve discovered writing thank you notes has become a lost courtesy with most people. They may say a hurried “thank you” when you hand them something, but never a note, not even an e-mail. Not that I give gifts solely to receive a thank you note. Also, if you send gifts a distance, you do like to know the person received it and that it’s not floating around in transit for ages.

My daughter and son-in-law have their children sit down after Christmas, birthdays, and other gift receiving occasions to write notes to those who have given them the gift. I’m pleased this is being carried out for yet another generation of my family and hope they think to teach their children.

I wonder what’s happening to our society when thank you seems to have gotten lost…and taking time to write a note is almost never heard of. 

What do you think about thank you notes? Is this something you do and teach your children? Nowadays, too, you can design and generate delightful thank you notes on the computer, something youngsters often enjoy.