The Art of the Thank You Note WRITTEN BY NATALIE CLAUSE OF WWW.SOUTHERNBELLESCHARM.COM
Thank You Notes
are a simple way of showing gratitude towards someone who has done something kind for you. Whenever someone gives you a gift or helps you out, they’re taking a piece of their own resources and handing it to you, a resource that could have been used to plan for their own future.
When you send handwritten thank you notes, it allows those who have sent gifts to know you received the gift, how much you appreciated it and how important their gift was to you! With that consideration, a thank you note is a very tangible way to show your thanks for that gift. It’s something that takes just a moment or two of your own time, yet clearly and permanently shows gratitude for a gift to someone else.
Pretty foldover cards are perfect for sending notes!
When you sit down to write your note, use stationery! Scrap paper doesn’t scream “I appreciated what you did for me.” I’m partial to very simple cards with an elegant image on the front and a blank inside upon which a note can be written. Always handwrite a thank you note, and write neatly when you do. A handwritten thank you note has a certain level of elegance that you just can’t capture by typing and printing a note. Take out your pen and write down your thoughts. If you prefer, you can draft the note at the keyboard, but then copy your final text from the screen to the card. Address your notes by start off with the word “Dear,” then imagine you walked into a room and saw this person (or these people) without having seen them for a year. How would you address them? That’s what you should use next. For example, if it’s an old friend, use their first name. If it’s one of your parents’ friends that you don’t know particularly well, use Mr. and Mrs. Last Name.