How many times have you written or received a card with that little phrase at the beginning?
I am (still) going through boxes. Random receipts, photos, and a gallon freezer zip lock bag of cards were in the most recent box. This particular group of notes shared our prayer that we would use our new house on Denali as a way to bless others. Some were birthday cards for Drew and me that coincided with our move. Some were Swankie Blankie thank you notes.
Maybe it's the southern etiquette upbringing, but Mother instilled in Linda and me from the beginning that thank you notes were not optional. I witnessed the frowns and scowls from older women at baby showers who murmured, "I still haven't received a thank you note for her wedding gift...". Writing came naturally and was actually fun for me and I prided myself on getting my notes written in a timely manner.
Somehow, I forgot to pass that joy on to Drew and the boys. It was usually a chore. At the risk of totally throwing the boys under the article-bus, I'll let you guess which one I'm writing about. Frankly, both of them claimed handwriting disabilities and tried to get out of it.
Ask McSon about the night before he left for ACU. I had let some birthday thank yous slide. I usually included all three guys' family Christmas thank yous in with mine. When I suggested to Drew that he might want to write a personal note, he gave me the 'that's why I married you' look and I counted myself lucky to add his signature.
But I drew the line at high school graduation gifts. "You will not be allowed to leave for college until you get those notes written!", I promised. I reminded him on the way home from Sr. Sunday. He was too busy adding up his gift cards. I mentioned it throughout the summer and it was met with the best intentions to get them done as soon as he got back from camp, Trek, Kadesh, and the bathroom.
Sure enough, the night before the big day arrived. "I'll do them tonight, I promise." Then somebody called for one last goodbye, and he was out the door. Fast fwd to 2am. I'm sitting on the couch with his laundry that has yet to be packed. He walks in the door, wired and exhausted. I'm waving a stack on envelopes and a roll of stamps.
"Mom, I am SO TIRED!"
"I know you are. You're probably really sorry you put these notes off until the last minute."
"I'll do them in the mor..."
I jumped up on the couch and screamed, "NOW! YOU'LL DO THEM NOW! These sweet people went to the trouble of picking out a gift and getting it to you and as my last act of having you under our roof, I am sitting here with you until every last one is written!" It was like a bad Hallmark commercial.
And there we sat, while I read from the gift list and addressed the envelopes, until all 75 notes were written. By him. To this day, some of my favorite thank you notes come from high school senior boys with scratchy handwriting who obviously wrote them under durress.
I get it.
This wasn't the blog I intended to write. I was just going to reiterate the importance of written notes. Not just thank you notes, but 'how are you' notes and 'wasn't that fun' notes and 'your friendship is precious' notes.
It's the gift that keeps on giving when you are like me and Mildred James who've saved every single one we've ever received! We read them again and again, and then put some of them in a box with random receipts and photos until years later when we're cleaning out a closet only to find the box, sit for an hour and read them all over...again.
Fortunately, the boys married wonderful girls who write the most precious notes, and somehow got the boys to not only sign, but write their own precious notes on birthday, Father's Day, Mother's Day and 'just because' cards. I've saved every single one. I have a feeling there was no screaming or couch jumping involved.
Just a note? There's no such thing.
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4 comments:
I agree notes are so special. I don't know why the younger generation finds them so difficult. Out of eight neices and nephews from 16-30, only one neice ever says thank you for anything. Now to get them to communicate with me I have had to join MySpace!
Never could get them to just email?? However, I am married to a man more thoughtful than me, Steve is great about writing notes to everyone (including a thank you note to me for gifts)Totally not neccessary but because he does now I write him too!
Thanks for the reminder, Carolyn! My mom also instilled in me the importance of a handwritten note. And, so I did all the way up until the twins' 2nd birthday. Then, sometime after that (and Nick's birth), my personal notes came to a screeching halt. To this day, I keep a running checklist in my head of notes that I need to write or that I need to have my kids write. It is LONG! Maybe if I got off the #@*% computer, I could complete that list!
Oh I remember writing my notes after graduation. Why do people (especially those RE folks) gotta be so generous. In fact...we even receive "thank you" notes as a gift. I guess saying 'hey, don't forget to write notes to everybody for this basket full of stuff'.
I don't really mind writing notes. Actually I wish I put more effort into writing my notes for graduation gifts. The problem was, there were so many of them it's hard to put a lot of effort into them. Sorry if my note to you guys wasn't personal enough.
After reading this, I will put more effort into any kind of 'note' I write. :D
This post could have come straight from my mom - she is the note queen - especially thank you notes. They are important. And there is just something about a written note that communicates that you put some time and effort into expressing your thanks (or whatever else). I love getting notes and when I remember that, it reminds me that other people probably do too!
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