One of my
biggest peeves is not receiving a simple thank you for a gift given lovingly
and willingly to another.
Grandma
asks a child what he wants for Christmas or his birthday and gets a long wish
list. After the child opens the present,
he tosses it aside and grabs another without acknowledging or thanking her. The
time, effort, and money spent in the process is treated inconsequential, a
right and not a privilege.
The
following holiday, again the child does the same. Grandma’s gift is lost among the many
others. No acknowledgement. No thank you.
If the
outcome is the same whether the giver offers a present or not, then why bother?
I use the
example of a grandchild, but my experience has been wide and varied. This
incident has happened repeatedly to me with family and friends where a
celebration requires a gift.
What
happened to the formal thank you note? Why is it considered antiquated when the
giving of gifts hasn’t gone out of style? We complain about the entitled
generation, yet we teach (and accept) entitlement to our children. How many of us write a thank you note to
those who give us presents?
I
do. I send thank you’s to those who
remember me at Christmas, my birthday, and other holidays. When I forget to write a note, I make sure
the giver knows personally how much I appreciated their kindness. I tell others
about my gift and brag on the present and the giver. Yes, a gift should be
given willingly with nothing expected in return, but shouldn’t appreciation and
delight be acknowledged?
I have
gotten wiser and meaner as I age. My memory is as sharp as ever. I will
continue to acknowledge those who give me presents and who thank me in return
for mine. Their names will go on my
“Nice” list, while the others, well, there is a reason it is called the
“Naughty” list. Why bother if my gift means nothing to them?
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