Is there anything better than a heartfelt thank you? If I am grateful for some small kindness or special gift, I try to always say thank you – whether verbally in person or by written message. And, I have tried to instill this habit of showing appreciation into my children by reminding them to say thank you and requiring them to send thank you notes for gifts.
Normally, the children require some supervision when writing thank you notes… but after last week, I think my two oldest may have finally mastered this skill for themselves. I simply suggested that it may be a good idea to send thank you notes to their aunt and uncle, and they quickly grabbed their notepads and went right to work writing notes and creating cards. No whining, no complaining, no rushing through their work… they just started writing and drawing pictures. When they were done, I was pleasantly surprised. The finished notes/cards of thanks seemed heartfelt. They expressed gratitude and mentioned small specific details. They were notes that would truly make someone feel special and appreciated upon receiving them.
I am so grateful for these children of mine. Thank you, children, for being such thoughtful and caring individuals!
I commented to my husband last year and again last week about how this seems to be a lost art! I went to the store to buy some new cards, and all I could find was blank note cards. I used to be able to find Thank You notes everywhere. No one seems to appreciate the importance of saying thank you, especially to the generations before them who are accustomed to sending and receiving them. Even in my thirties, I’m constantly shocked that it’s taught to write a note, but the generations after me see no value. Thank you for writing this. I’m off to have my 4 year old write up a few today 😊