Old Fashioned Thank You

Beautifully printed stationary is something I've always loved. I have a favorite box filled with bits and pieces I've picked up over the years that I sort through when sending out a note. From monogrammed stationary left over from our wedding thank you notes to packets of little hallmark cards, I can almost always find something that works.

What I've been noticing recently (and also realized as a result that I'm old) is a fairly large decrease in the art of written thank you notes and the use of proper stationary. How rude.

The decrease in appreciation for paper by many and it's decreasing use is directly linked of course to our rise of email and text. We fire off thank you notes after meetings on email to ensure we send a speedy reply. Too long is the regular first class mail these days.

So I call for an increase in the written note and while we're at it, a well constructed thank you note. The basic rules my mother taught me decades ago:

-Salutation
-First sentence. Thank you for [insert item].
-Second sentence. [Compliment the item and explain how you are going to use it].
-Third sentence. [Additional context about when or how you received it and why it's great].
-Fourth sentence. [Thank them again].
-Fifth sentence. [Wish them well].
-Signature

And please, teach the graduates in your life that you always send thank you notes for everything. From interviews to gift and everything in between.