I don’t hear enough thank you’s these days. I’m not talking about a formal written thank-you note though I’m delighted when I get one. And I don’t even care about the note. It could be a text or a call, even a FB or Instagram message, but it’s rare. My gift checks get cashed pronto, but I don’t always get an acknowledgement. Now why is that?

My children didn’t like when I placed those thank-you cards in front of them to complete. They procrastinated. But I didn’t let up until they were done. They weren’t always perfect and as they got older they might’ve missed the formal thank you when they were too old for my insistence. I wasn’t always perfect either; maybe I missed some too.

But it sure was easy for my kids (or any of us) to stand with their hands open expecting a gift. Expecting someone to bestow something on them they hadn’t earned.

So I’ve said to myself: if that’s how you feel, don’t give gifts. Is it really a gift of the heart if I expect a thank you in return? Aren’t gifts something I give because I want to give. Period.

Do I say enough thank you’s? To family members that host me at gatherings? To Mother Nature for the magnificent colors of November trees? To the overworked representatives who take on the job of serving community, state, and country? To my husband for his patience?

Someone told me about a grandmother who got fed up with not hearing back when she sent her grandson a birthday gift. Instead of putting a check in the birthday card, she omitted one. Her grandson called. “Hey grandma. What happened? I didn’t get the gift.” Oh, you know how to call when you don’t get a gift but not when you do. Hmmm.”

Tis the season to remember the thank you!
#Thanksgiving #thanks #giving #family #gifts