Happy Thank You Note Day!

On Thursday I was wishing you a Merry Christmas. Now, I’m wishing you a Happy Thank You Note Day. It’s an actual thing — I’m not making this up! See?

So, are you a thank you note writer?

This week we did a #tbt to days of yore re-visiting Plant’s Palace. In that vein, let’s harken back to the Victorian era’s rules for thank you notes.

In Manners and Social Usages of 1887, Mrs. John Sherwood writes,

“The person who can write a graceful note is always spoken of with phrases of commendation.”

She also writes,

“It is impossible to give persons minute directions as to the style of a note, for that must be the outgrowth of years of careful education, training, and good mental powers.”

Well, I think that last part is a little dramatic; don’t you? It doesn’t have to take a lot of mental power to write a thank you note! 

Not sure what to do? Here are a few tips on writing an effective thank you note:

• Be personal. Handwritten pen-on-paper personalizes a note most effectively. You could also mention how much you enjoyed seeing this friend recently, or refer to a future event where you look forward to seeing them.

• Be specific. For example, if you received an Amazon gift card, you could say, “I plan to use this to buy the newest book in the Jess Kimball Thriller Series.”

• Just do it. The sooner the better, but even if you feel the note is late, the general rule is that it’s better to send the note late than not at all.

If you’re interested in reading more about the art of the handwritten letter, check out my blog post in celebration of the anniversary of the Pony Express: https://dianecapri.com/2014/04/pony-express-appreciation-day/

Happy Thank You Note Writing Day!