Remember Gratitude
Last year, after Melting Pot Moms sponsored one of my campers to an OBG Adventure Camps travel camp, I had the sponsored camper video tape her appreciation. She was shy about it, but it had to be done. This year, I wasn't able to physically go to my Spring travel camp, so I instructed my staff to have the camper that was sponsored by a mini-Facebook fundraiser I put together write out her thank you note so that I could then post it on my Facebook Wall. When I think back on it, I feel like I should have taken the time to individually send each donor Ruby's thank you note, but I took a technology short cut. (Still wondering if that was the right thing to do.)
 |
| Honeyprint stationery |
Yesterday, I sent out two handwritten thank you notes (using my custom Honeyprint stationery and my own OBG stationery) to two different friends who showed a kindness to me. It was an automatic response to a thoughtful situation because that's how I was brought up; to be grateful and to show it. After all, I know how it makes me feel (awesome!) to get a handwritten note in the mail and hey...it's nice to be nice.
Recently, I sent out a bunch of gifts and to date I have received one thank you (via text), and that came from an adult. The rest of the gifts were sent to adolescents and unlike my mother who simply broke out the stationery and handed me a pen when I received a gift as a child, I have not received a thank you note, a thank you text, or a thank you FB Wall Post saying, well...thank you. Since I tend to be analytical, I thought this would be a great challenge to put out there. For me, for you, for parents and for anyone who has been shown a kindness. It's not about hurt feelings or some such other drama, because I know that my gifts were well-received. But it's about taking that extra step and showing a little gratitude. It's about not fostering a sense of entitlement. It's about remembering our forgotten manners. Am I wrong?
Disclaimer: Several months ago, I got a suprise package in the mail and it was the personalized Honeyprint stationery you see in the photo above. It was so cute that I didn't open it until yesterday.
5 comments:
I don't think you are wrong Tracey. I appreciate a thank you card and I send them out. I must admit that I have failed my children in requiring them to write notes, but I always have them call anyone who sends them a gift. I have been thinking of just randomly writing notes to friends, just because.
Shautel: The fact that you have your children RESPOND with a thank you is just great and surprisingly rare! Using technology to say thanks is fine...it's the way of the world. But every now and then, a hand written note is a lovely treasured sentiment that a person can go back to and re-visit and remember...with gratitude. =D
Thank you goes a long way, and I absolutely love the feeling of getting a handwritten note in the mail. People don't know the power of thank you anymore. It appears that some folks just have a 'gimmie gimmie' attitude. Well, my parents taught us manners, and I have no problem with saying 'THANK YOU'. Thank you Tracey for being a SUPER WOMAN with a mission and purpose. We need more people like you in this world.
Awww, thanks Miss Honeyprint (and thanks again for the stationery too!). Cheers to gratitude making a comeback... *Clink*
I think you are right, Tracey. How will our children learn good manners if they haven't been taught? I was thinking today about how we concern ourselves with being attractive and "all that", but there's no one more attractive than a person with graciousness and good manners. Learning how to make people feel welcome, loved and appreciated is a skill one is never too old or too young to learn!
Post a Comment