How to Write Great Thank You Cards

Writing good thank you cards is quickly becoming a forgotten art. I remember my grandmother lamenting about this fact over the years, and I have to say that the older I become, the more I find myself agreeing with her. When I give a formal gift, I think it is nice to get some acknowledgment back from the recipient. But all too often these days, my gifts go by unnoticed. That’s such a shame, since a sincere thank you note doesn’t take long to write if you have the right supplies on hand. You don’t even have to buy special thank you cards, but can even jot a quick thank you letter on stationery or a blank note card. For me, the outside of the card is a lot less important than what the inside says. Over the past few years, I’ve received an array of generous and thoughtful gifts from family and friends for my engagement, my wedding, my baby showers and birthdays. After each occasion, I set aside time to write out a stack of thank you notes, in which I use care to name and describe the gift I am writing about. For instance, “Thank you so much for the beautiful, pale pink party dress with the exquisite lace trim and embroidery you sent for my daughter Grace. It is so beautiful and she will enjoy wearing it so much.” If we have a special event planned where she will wear the dress, I explain that as well, and often also add a personal closing sentence to say that I hope the giver and his or her family is well and hope we will see them again soon. These little extra details make my thank you cards stand out and show I am not writing a generic letter but am expressing sincere gratitude for what the giver selected. These cards are usually very well received by the people who took the time to shop for me or for my family. This makes them feel good about going out of their way for us and lets them know we truly appreciate their time, expense and effort. As my son and daughter get older, I plan to teach them to write their own thank you cards and will try to convey the importance of this act, so someday when they become parents, hopefully they, too, can pass on this tradition to their own children.

Tags: thank you cards, thank you notes/a>