Civility and manners,  Communication,  Friendship and relationship advice,  Gratitude

What about thank-you notes?

“Thank-you notes are an appropriate way to express gratitude to a friend, loved one, or colleague for any sort of gift or act of kindness….In an increasingly informal digital world, pulling out pen and paper is a way to distinguish yourself.” ~Emily Post Etiquette 

“Does anyone still send thank-you notes?” a reader asked me recently. It might seem like a question your grandmother would ask, but it’s worth considering as we approach the season of giving. Etiquette experts agree that a handwritten note of appreciation is “good form” any time you’ve received a gift or enjoyed someone’s hospitality. For a modern primer on thank-you notes, check out this article on Emily Post Etiquette online.

A grateful text or an email is better than nothing, experts say. But there’s something special about finding a heartfelt, handwritten note in your mailbox. It reconnects you to the sender and elevates the relationship. You might be inclined to save a note like that — and remember the sender long after you gave the gift or hosted the party. ~Cindy La Ferle

P.S. Yes, that’s my granny in today’s photo. She wrote lots of thank-you notes.

Throughout my career, I've worked as a book production editor, travel magazine editor, features writer, and weekly newspaper columnist. My award-winning lifestyles features and essays have appeared in many national magazines and anthologies, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer's Digest, Victoria, Better Homes & Gardens, Bella Grace, and more. My weekly Sunday "Life Lines" column ran for 14 years in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI) and won a First Place (Local Columns) award from the Michigan Press Association. My essay collection, Writing Home, includes 93 previously published columns and essays focusing on parenthood and family life.

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