The holiday season is a time of year when people do a lot of nice things for each other, and therefore it’s a time of year when we all say “thank you” a lot. Thank you for the invitation; thank you for the hospitality; thank you for the thoughtful gift.
Of course, some occasions call for more formal thank you efforts than others, and sometimes a little voice inside our heads – one that often sounds suspiciously like Mom – tells us it’s time to write and mail an actual thank you note.
Many times we ignore that little voice and tap out a little thank you text or a thank you email, instead. But in an era when we get far too many electronic messages and far too little enjoyable mail, let’s consider the idea that physical, tangible thank you notes deserve a comeback.
After all, writing thank you notes is not a difficult task. Sure, you can make a big production out of crafting your own handmade cards and pulling out the calligraphy pens - but you can just as easily start with pre-printed stationery (always an appropriate choice for business) or simply pull out some paper and jot down a few kind words.
One etiquette question that’s long been alive is whether thank you notes must be hand-written or whether they can be typed and cranked out on a printer.
Many swear that only hand-writing will do - but if you’re leaning toward using the printer anyway, here’s a helpful guideline: Part of the grace behind sending a written thank you is that you’re showing you care by putting forth a bit of personal effort. If you don’t exert yourself – at least a little – the note can easily seem insincere.
In social correspondence, hand-writing your note says, “You’re so important to me that I’ve given this letter the personal touch,” no matter how wobbly your penmanship may be. If you decide to go with the ease of typing, instead, you’ll need to make up for it with a couple of pages of newsy updates, a detailed explanation of how much you enjoyed the favor or gift, and possibly a nice photo or a drawing from your kid.
In business, of course, it’s important that thank you notes be reasonably neat or you risk saying not only “Thank you” but “Here’s an embarrassing look at my sloppier side,” as well. If your handwriting is truly abysmal and you can’t wrangle it into shape for even a few sentences, printing your note might be the way to go – but that means you’ll have to write a few extra-meaningful, extra-impressive sentences to make up for the impersonal touch. Be sure to sign it by hand, at the very least.
In the long run, the issue of whether to hand-write or type a thank you note is much less important than the questions of whether to send them, and when. And the answers are please do, and today would be a great day to begin.
Long or short, fancy or plain, typed or hand-written – a heartfelt, genuine thank you note is a rare treat these days.
And when’s the last time you felt that way about an e-mail or a text?
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