I wrote my Christmas "thank you" letters today and they're all posted! I only had six to do and with big handwriting and only one A5 side to cover it doesn't take very long.
When we got married, I wrote all the "thank you" letters for all of our wedding presents. Now that was a real challenge.
I only usually write now when I've been sent a present through the post or if I haven't opened it in front of the person giving it to me. I prefer it to a phone call as I'm not very good on the phone and my uncle who sends me a generous token every year has a very quiet voice and I have terrible trouble hearing him.
Is this old-fashioned or does everyone do it?
11 COMMENTS:
It's a very nice thing to do. I usually email or send a card if I haven't been given the gift face to face. If it's family I sometimes text or phone. You've just reminded me that I have a few to do before the weekend is out. Thanks. I can be very forgetful and occasionally I think I've already done things but actually I've only thought about it. I'm such a dozy moo!
I have to confess I've always been a meanie as far as thank you letters go. But (in spite of my online anonymity) I'm more of a face-to-face sort of chap, so unless phone calls present themselves, I prefer to say thanks in person. As it turns out, I thanked someone only last week for a book token I got for my birthday in the spring, which I spent prior to Christmas. Slow but sure — just like Elvis' demise.
Face to face is good but I think a decade might be too long to wait to say thank you and that's about how often I see some of my family.
Jane - you're not a dozy moo, you just have too many things to think about. That's always my excuse, anyway.
It's a nice gesture, and one I'm sure is more appreciated than anyone would admit. I don't think it matters that it's old-fashioned. Kissing is old-fashioned, too, but no one seems to mind.
I'm an all in-person "thank you's and how do you do's" kind of guy...
I'm gracious as hell in person.
Bad with the letter writing though...
I'm not big on phone calls and I don't seem to have a close personal relationship with the post office. I write a letter for my Mom for Mother's Day because I know she loves reading letters. Doesn't mean it gets to her by Mother's Day, but there you go.
It seems I'm an e-mail kind of gal. I am learning though as my m-i-l requires phone thank you's.
Gosh, I'd send you a present just to get a thank-you letter. Americans aren't big on written expressions of gratitude, I'm sorry to say.
When you have a bunch of them to do, do you find yourself sort of developing a boilerplate paragraph and personalizing it, or do you write them all from scratch. Or would that be telling?
Bevie - Thank you! It's nice to think of it as like kissing. That makes me think of Kiersten and her grandfather's response to her story.
Scott - wonderful to know that you're gracious as hell. I'm smiling even as I type.
Sarah - email is cool but not everyone in my family does email. The only thing I don't like about real letters is handwriting them - I'm so out of practice these days and typing is so much quicker and easier. And you can backspace!
Timothy (Tim? Mr Hallinan?) - I don't plan out a boilerplate but there's only so much you can say about what you've done at Christmas. It tends to come out a bit differently for everyone but it is only a short note, not a full-scale letter.
One of my friends always sends me a long letter with her Christmas card and I feel guilty not to do the same but I'm not going to write several long letters by hand. The "round robin" letter can be an embarrassment especially if it's unintentionally funny.
Thank you cards are always nice. Not old-fashioned at all.
Hi, I'm going to stop lurking and post :). I love your pictures in your entry before this one. I just wanted to say that while I do not normally write thank yous, I think I will start because I always think that it is so nice when I receive one. I think that it is great that you write them! It for sure makes people happy to receive them :).
My husband did the thank yous for our wedding to make up for not helping plan enough, but recently I have heard from several people who never got them. Not sure if it is the Chicago postal service or a bad hubby.
Hi Lauren!
Thank you for the kind remarks about the pictures.
Not sure if it is the Chicago postal service or a bad hubby.
I laughed when I read this.
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