I hate thank you notes. Not getting them...I love getting them...which makes me despise them even more since I KNOW I need to send them so other people can relish in the joy of receiving my heartfelt gratitude. I used to be sooooo good at writing and sending thank you notes right away. I even wrote our wedding thank-yous on our honeymoon (much to Phil's disappointment)!!
I heard in a homily once that the priest's mother wouldn't let her children use/play/spend their gifts they had received until they wrote a thank you note. I really like that idea.
But in reality, I have five kids who can't completely write a thank you note and mail it all on their own and so now I have to write thank-yous for all seven of us in the family. I do make John-Paul write his own short notes, and Andrew can write even briefer ones, but I still need to make them sit down and do it and then get them all ready to mail off. It's such a chore, and one that I find plenty of reasons to postpone. Even ironing sounds better.
Phil thinks I am so silly in even writing thank you notes to people who give us a gift in person. He thinks when the intended recipient opens the gift and says "Thank You", that is sufficient. I always thought only a hand-written note was appropriate, but in recent years have even slacked off and sent "Thank You Emails" instead of real cards.
It's not that I'm not grateful for the gifts, we truly are, and my intentions are sincere about writing a thank you...but you know what they say about the best intentions and how they pave the road to hell.
I want to teach my kids how important gratitude and manners are, and the best way to do this is through example, so I need to find a better system. What do you all do for thank you notes? Does a verbal thank you ever suffice? How about an emailed thank you? Or a phone call? Please help this overwhelmed mom!
