Generally as a rule, I am not a huge fan of New Year's resolutions. If you see an area in your life that you would like to improve, why wait until January 1 to start? However, this year I do have a resolution and January is a nice, clean date to start with.
Most of you know well by now that I love mail. I love everything about it. I love pretty stationery. I love the thrill of opening my mailbox and seeing a piece of real mail that isn't a bill. I love writing cards to my friends and hearing from them that finding my card in their mailbox on a not so good day brought smiles to their faces. In my opinion, one of the saddest things in life is an empty mailbox. I even have a spreadsheet on my computer of everyone that I send cards to and what cards I send to try to limit/avoid sending duplicates. Yes, mail is that important to me.
Friday night, at services, the rabbi was talking about expressions of gratitude and if people say thank you as much as they should. I brought up the concept of thank you cards and was flabbergasted when the rabbi told me that he does not believe that thank you cards are necessary and that we should not expect to receive them for gifts other than wedding gifts. I was even more shocked when everyone else in the congregation seemed to agree with him! I always make it a point to send a thank you card to anyone who sends me a present no matter how small (I once wrote a thank you card for a pack of gum!) and to any vendors who sponsor giveaways on my blog. It drives me absolutely bonkers when I give someone a gift and don't get a thank you in return.
For 2011, I have decided to make a lot of my friends smile. I dislike how writing handwritten letters and cards is becoming a lost art and am determined to not make it happen. My resolution is to send at least one card a day to one person for the entire year. Some of those (birthday, thank you, new baby cards) will be easier than others.
Dear ____________,
How's it going? I just got married. Time to go eat cake.
x's and o's,
-the no longer MRM
Yea, it's not perfect, but anything that makes my friends smile is a good thing. Think I can do this? Anyone else care to join me?
I think your first card should go a little like this:
ReplyDeleteDear Rabbi,
I hope this handwritten note brightens your day. Thank you for a lovely service this week.
Best, MRM
Let him stop and think about that one... because thank you notes will never go out of style. Love the resolution.
Love what Kimmie said!!! What a precious idea!!! I was raised to send thank you notes for everything (gifts, outings with friends, etc)
ReplyDeleteLove this resolution and Kimmie's idea! I think one of my resolutions will be something similar in terms of keeping in touch with friends. :)
ReplyDeleteI had better get a card saying "I just got married. Time to eat cake." ! You know I was in mass a few weeks ago and the priest talked about gratitude and he said thank you notes are a great way to say thank you.
ReplyDeleteI was at mass with my parents, sister, and grandparents and my grandparents commented that they appreciated that they get a thank you note from my brother, sister, and I every-time anything happens. They said that they were really proud that my parents instilled that into us and remarked that they regretted my cousins were not thank-you note writers.
I'm really surprised your Rabbi and congregation felt it was unnecessary. Emily Post is sitting somewhere (taking tea, no doubt) and writhing.
I love Kimmie's note.
XOXO BFF JILL
I was literally just making a list of people I need to send thank you cards! It was stressing me out because someone gave my boyfriend a gift to give me and it's been like a week and I haven't been able to get her address!! It's so sad that people are not sending them out as much, even as just a common courtesy that you received it!! I love this idea..I don't know if I can send a card every day, but I will try for at least one a week and more when possible!!
ReplyDeleteWow, one a day is pretty ambitious! :-) I love the idea though, and might just try for one a week. And you'll be on the list for sure! xoxo
ReplyDeleteNO WAY! So how does he feel you should thank people, if not in a card? A call is not personal enough, in my opinion, and obviously (for us) in person is not an option! What drives me crazy the MOST is if we send somebody a gift and don't get a thank you card! I was raised rather traditional, but my kids will most definitely write them! I think your idea is def. way cute, but I'm having a hard enough time keeping up with birthday cards, thank you cards, and celebratory cards of sorts! Plus, we don't make it to the post office everyday, either! I love it though, so have fun with it! =)
ReplyDeleteOh yes, we're in with Kimmie on your very first card! And knowing you and your determination, absolutely yes, you will accomplish this, with bells on!
ReplyDeleteSending you a smile across the miles,
tp
I love this and really I can't believe your Rabbi said this. I would flagged him down and corrected his words.
ReplyDeleteThere is NOTHING better than getting mail. A sweet letter or card. I always send thank you cards for EVERYTHING!
YOU GO! DO IT! I LOVE THE IDEA!
I enjoy sending notes and cards to my friends. And, like you, I enjoy opening my mailbox and finding a missive inside. I like your choice of resolutions.
ReplyDeleteI always send thank you notes for everything! I was so bothered- two years ago, a friend from high school was married. I was invited to his fiancee's bridal shower, and I sent up a gift, I never received a thank you, and the only reason I know it arrived was because I tracked it on UPS's website! They never sent a thank you for the wedding gift either. I've blogged about this before, I think!
ReplyDeleteMonogrammed notecards make a thank you note better, I think!