Thank You Notes ... Your Mother Was Right

Photo by Howard Riminton on Unsplash

As a child, every time I received a gift, my mother made me sit down and write a thank you note to the giver. It didn't have to be long and elaborate, but there was no getting out of doing it.

Recently, I was reminded of how important this simple practice is. A few weeks ago, I attended a lovely dinner party. The food was delicious, the host created a lovely atmosphere, and we all enjoyed the rich conversation. I saw the host a while later. She came up to me rather uncertainly and asked me what I thought of her gathering. She told me that she hadn't received any thank you notes or emails and was concerned that people didn't like her party. I reassured her that it had been wonderful -- and apologized for not letting her know. I'd fallen out of the practice my mother nagged me into.

Although we think that people know how much we appreciate them and their gifts -- like my friend's dinner party -- when we don't say thank you, they may assume they didn't do a good job. So, just like my mother told me, take time to write a card, or at least, to send an email. It matters.