Gratitude is Happiness. It puts you in the flow of life. Gratitude is also not just an expression of good manners; it’s a doorway to higher consciousness.
When I was a child, one of the things that my mother taught me, that I have carried into adulthood, is to write a handwritten thank you note when you receive a gift. When I was a child, she would have me write them to relatives for birthday and Christmas gifts that I would receive. As I got older, I sent thank you notes to anyone who acknowledged my graduation, or sent me a wedding or baby gift. I personally continue to send a note of thanks if someone leaves a gift at my door, brings me a meal, or donates to a fundraising effort of mine. By no means do I consider myself a “Miss Manners” or anything, but I just think that expressing gratitude is important.
Your gratitude in writing automatically increases the power of your recognition to someone. Gratitude is also associated with higher states of being like “love,” “truth” and “oneness.” As a parent, I have carried this gratitude exercise into my children’s lives. Teaching them that anytime they get a gift, or when someone donates to whatever cause they are trying to raise money for, or if anyone goes above and beyond and does something extra for them, that they should send a note of appreciation. Of course at first, they used to complain a bit, but now it is second nature to them.
Nobody should actually gives a gift or a donation looking for a “Thank you” out of someone, but recently the topic of gratitude and thank you notes, or more the lack of receiving a thank you of any sort, has come up in conversation within many different circles of people that know.
When Did Writing a Thank You Note Become a Lost Art? Merriam-Webster defines a “lost art” as: Something usually requiring some skill that not many people do any more. I never really thought of showing my appreciation for something by writing a note to be a “skill” but rather a way to show my gratitude.
When people don’t hear from the receiver, they often wonder if the gift or check ever made it to them. I know that I have sent graduation gifts to people and never heard “Boo” afterwards. The lack of response has left me wondering if I had the correct address or if the gift got lost in the mail, or did the parents even know that I sent a gift.
I have a friend who attended a wedding and never got a thank you for the sizable check that she and her husband gave, but the bride was quick to invite her back to a baby shower within months of the wedding.
I know of many mothers who get irked when they send a holiday or teacher appreciation gift to school to their child’s teacher only to hear crickets afterwards.
I have an acquaintance who donated to a Go-Fund-Me campaign and would run into the recipient regularly afterwards. She said that things felt awkward as she never got so much as a verbal thank you.
I know of a gal who exhibited her home-based business products at a local fundraiser and donated a gift to be raffled off, only to not hear so much as a verbal thank you from the guest of honor or that person’s family who was in attendance at the event. Again it isn’t about the “thank you” but about the gratitude.
Is showing gratitude a lost art? I feel that gratitude is more than just good manners. What about you?
Am I just being old fashioned here? What are your thoughts? How do you teach your children or grandchildren to show gratitude? You can reply in the comments section below or join the discussion on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/HealRiseUpandAscend