No. 26 Again: The Best Thanks

NO. 26 Send a Thank You note every Wednesday

As a follow up to last Friday's post, I promised some of my favorite thank you notes received. 

Teenagers write the most uninhibited thank yous. 

Like:

"Thank you so much for visiting me and the beautiful flowers. It made my day to talk to someone other than my parents."    
Obviously that was heartfelt. What teen wants to be cooped up at home with her parents after surgery? Even if it was just for 24 hours. Except when we dropped those flowers off, there were three other girls at that house visiting so I don't think she was just stuck with her peeps.

Or:

Addressed to my youngest daughter, a note from her best friend's older brother.

"Thanks for the money and for distracting my sister at my birthday party. If you hadn't she might have tried to flirt with all my friends."
I know he meant that because it was true. We've had plenty of little sisters' friends flirting with big brother's friends around here. And I certainly made it a point to flirt with my older brothers' friends when I was a teen. It didn't do me any good until after I was out of high school, but it never stopped me from trying. 

I love this one because it made me think. Huh?  Then I remembered.

"Thank you so much for taking me to the beach over Spring Break! I had an amazing time and I'll probably never forget it. Thank you for all of the food, the surfboards and the banana."
Got you thinking, too, didn't it? The banana was a blow up toy for the ocean, purchased at our favorite Buccee's in Freeport to entertain the kids in the ocean. 

Thank you notes do not need to be hard to write, just from the heart. The more true to your voice, the more sincere they are. 

And to warm your heart:

From a graduating senior who was best friends with my son.
"Thank you for everything you guys have given me over the past 10 years. I love you and the entire family!!! :-) "
Makes me want to cry.

 And a thank you from a friend who moved away. Everyone should have a friend like this who wrote such a wonderful, wonderful letter thanking me for my many influences, most of them good. 

"I love that I have grown a little more Sagittariusy and less Capricornish in the last ten years....I am so glad to have you as my gypsy friend."


Unlike a conversation, a note can be read and re-read. 
A note can be placed in time (a 37 cent stamp, how long ago was that? ), held in your hand (or heart) or tacked on a bulletin board as a daily reminder.  
A handwritten note conveys so much more than even the prettiest font on the most elegantly designed computer screen. 

The power of the written word.

...

For a silly blog that writes a thank you note a day, click here.
For tips on writing a thank you note, click here.
For thank you notes from famous people, click here. (Nosiness at its best- reading other people's mail.)