Giving Thank You Notes

Right now, in my email inbox, there are messages reminding me to send Thank You notes to people who have given me gifts this year. The idea of a Thank You note is one that I'm familiar with. As a job hunter, I was told to give Thank You notes to prospective employers after an interview. The idea is show how much you appreciate their time and how thoughtful of a person you are (so they should hire you). This concept of a Thank You note, exaggerating gratitude for one favor in hopes of receiving another, has left a sour taste in my mouth, and I must confess that I don't send out Thank You notes often - not nearly as often as I should.

Another problem I have with Thank You notes is that they seem so lame. "I really want to thank you for the wonderful, thoughtful thing you gave me or did for me, so here's a folded piece of card stock with the words 'Thank You' and maybe a nice picture on it"? Giving someone a Thank You note is a very poor way to reciprocate a gift you genuinely appreciate. However, reciprocation isn't the goal here. I'm still looking at Thank You notes all wrong.

Because I see so little value in Thank You notes, I seldom give people any, but I have been the recipient of several Thank You notes, and many of them, if not most or all, have warmed my heart a little bit and made me feel appreciated. Thank You notes have little value or cost, but they're worth a lot more to those who receive them than I thought. A Thank You note means that you spent at least a little bit of time and a little bit of money and went a little bit out of your way to, in some feeble way, attempt to express your thanks for the gift you were given. It's nothing more than a small, kind gesture, but as the old adage goes, it's the thought that counts. I think that I may pick up, or perhaps make, a handful of gift cards this year. Of course, it won't be enough of a gesture to truly thank those who've given such great gifts to me, but at least it'll be something.