The Art of Thank You

    My husband and I recently agreed to watch our neighbors dog for a week while they were out of town. They have the funniest little bulldog which is a story all in itself. In the evening our neighbor came over and dropped off the dog, the supplies and an envelope. After we got the funny little thing settled in I opened the envelope and to my delight there was a handwritten thank you note.
    Some may think thank you cards are a thing of the past. Sure we say "thanks" but it is often through a phone call (guilty), an email, or a text and I am here to tell you that NONE of these measure up to a handwritten note. You don't need fancy stationary (although now I feel the need to go out and buy some),you don't need perfect penmanship (if your handwriting is messy at least make sure they can read your name and thanks, they will assume the rest says something nice and will be delighted!). It will make someones day to receive a card, a note, anything that shows your appreciation.
    When I think of thank you cards I think of my grandma, Grammy, who was so elegant. She had a certain something that was added to everything she did. She would have never forgotten to send a note to someone who did something special for her. She even took calligraphy classes to ensure her writing was impeccable (you by no means need to go this far!). For my Grandparents 50th anniversary all of the grand kids wrote special notes saying what we loved most about them. She wrote a thank you note in return telling us what she loved most about us. My sister and I dug those up a few months ago and had a good laugh.
        So...when in doubt send a note. If you went to a party, a dinner, a neighbor or a friend helped you, someone helped your child- send a thank you! Trust me it will make someone smile and it will make you stand out as a thoughtful person who was raised with manners!