Monday, December 16, 2013
One of the most common pet-peeves people have around the holidays is that they are not thanked for the gifts they give to others. We all know that if you receive a gift from someone – whether its a relative, friend, colleague or client, a written thank- you is called for to express your gratitude. However, more often than not we “forget” that common nicety and the giver feels unappreciated. They question whether future gifts to this person are necessary and the good-will meant to express becomes resentment.
Recently a Grandma asked me if she could enclose a self-addressed stamped blank Thank-you card with the gifts she planned on sending to her grandchildren. Would it be a breach of etiquette to do so? My response was that if she kept this practice within her family for gifts given to children, it wouldn’t be a breach of etiquette because it was a teaching opportunity that the expectation was that they show gratitude for her gifts. But… to do the same with a cousin or not so close relative, friend or other person outside her family would be an effort to shame the other person showing her assumption that they didn’t know how to do the proper thing on their own.
What a shame that anyone would need reminding to be gracious, grateful and kind during this season or at anytime.
But, you ALWAYS send hand-written thank-you notes, right?