Did you shop local for your holiday gifts? I bet you made some excellent choices! But did you send a thank you card for the gifts you received?
My money is on you texted a quick, “thanks, I love it!” to most people, but let me share a thought or two on why a thank you card is better.
A Thank You Card for Every (and no real) Occasion
Is there a time of day you love the most? For me, I love hearing the front door of my condo slam shut and notice the USPS truck out my window. I’ve got (maybe) mail!
Yes, sorta dorky, but I love opening my mailbox and seeing mail. Even though most days it’s filled with junk, someone knows I’m alive! ?
As much as I love a good junk mailer, I love receiving cards and notes from people I know (and strangers). And while it takes more time to handwrite a thank you note, I promise, that note is more cherished than a text.
Card > Email
So when should you mail a thank you card, and when should you send an email or text? Send a handwritten thank you card:
- after receiving a gift – birthday, wedding, graduation, holiday
- when someone does a favor for you
- after being a houseguest
- just because
- as a random act of gratitude
Here’s where I diverge from most other people on the subject of a handwritten thank you note vs a thank you email after an interview. Given the reality that many corporate and government workspaces have their mail scanned and sorted, sending a thank you email after an interview can be the faster option.
If the hiring process is quick and the mail delivery is slow, you can’t rely on your thank you card arriving before a job is offered. And if you want to be the person that gets that job offer? Send an email.
What to Write in A Thank You Card
Keep it simple, Susan! Don’t stress yourself out when figuring out the perfect words; instead, focus on keeping it simple. You don’t need to draft a novel to express your feelings. Instead, be sincere in your gratitude and specific about how it made you feel. However, don’t let six months creep up on you while searching for the right words to say!Put a stamp on it and get it in the mail.
Gratitude Challenge, Anyone?
Ripping the plastic off your new calendar always makes people think this is MY YEAR! I’ll start that gratitude practice everyone says changes their life.
That’s definitely been me. I want that life-changing gratitude practice, but honestly, I never get too far. I’ve tried countless times: a cute notepad to list three things I’m grateful for, a gratitude app on my phone, and one of those 5-Year One-Line-A-Day journals. Perhaps that makes me shallow. I’d argue I’m just not “present” enough to grasp the concept beyond my coffee, my dog, and the warm sunshine, but that’s me.
While I may be shit at the typical gratitude practices, I’m pretty decent at expressing gratitude in a nontraditional way; by thanking people, I’ll likely never meet. The act of putting pen to paper for a stranger and the possibility that my words could make someone smile makes me smile.
Go Forth and Make People Smile
Now it’s your turn! Grab that pen or pencil and that stack of thank you cards you’ve been holding on to forever, and thank some people in your life. Remember, keep it short and simple; you don’t need a reason to thank someone.
P.S. Hey, Mom, this is your long form “thank you” for my Christmas gifts!
