Mama in the City

A blog about raising my family in downtown Vancouver

Showing Gratitude

Shooting off an email or an instant twitter message is easy and efficient when saying thank you but is it the same as sending a paper thank you note? There is definitely a place for email thank you messages, especially if you are a person who would never remember to sit down and write a handwritten note. It is better to press send on your computer than to forget to say thank you at all. However, there is an old fashioned goodness in feeling the weight of a lovely thank you note in your hands.

Ever since my childhood I was taught the importance of thank you notes. Whatever lovely or funny gift we received we were always encouraged to sit down and write out a thank you note. This lesson has always stuck with me and I love picking out thank you notes to send off or finding a great stationary shop with cards and notes galore.

I also have a soft spot for thoughtful thank you notes being sent to me. I have a big thick box that I keep in my bedroom and I stash away thank you notes and cards of cheer inside to keep. I love getting mail and I truly love the sentiment behind someone taking the time to write out a card and pop it into the mail box. Plus I love receiving mail that is not fliers or bills!

Emily Post has a gentle guide to writing thank you notes and discuses the email thank you versus a proper written note. I am continually buying beautiful cards and putting them away to use at a later date. I find this helpful when it comes down to sending off a timely note even when I am knee deep in work.

Even Oprah has a panel of experts give their opinion on the old fashioned thank you note. One expert summed it up nicely in regards to the email thank you, 'it's okay... but why not do something that's great?'.

The online shop Etsy has many beautiful cards like these ones below:

Spring Love Birds
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Damask Script Monogram Cards
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A lovely personalized swirl pattern folded note.
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3 comments:

Mum Shirley said...

As one of the two parents who encouraged you and your sisters to send thank you cards to your grandparents when you were little, I'm so happy that you continue to send us thank you cards. We appreciate them so much. A written Thank you can be enjoyed in more than one way. There's the outside which you can enjoy looking at and then there's the handwritten message which can be read over and over. Keep it up!

March 17, 2010 at 7:11 PM  
Maxine Ulrich said...

Oh yes! I love lovely sweet notes too! So much better than a mail box full of bills! I really try hard to send off hand written thank you cards. I know life is busy, it is for everyone for different reasons, but a thank you note takes no time at all.

March 18, 2010 at 9:29 AM  
Melissa Rostorga said...

Very nice choice. Etsy is one of my fav shops on line and I like knowing that someone has put genuine effort into the product and not just processed from a factory.

March 19, 2010 at 5:03 PM  

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