Senior to Senior: Thank You Notes

Don’t forget to send thank you notes. Boy, how many times have you heard or said that? Don’t give up. Believe it or not, little notes and messages that you send or receive will be around longer than you will. Be subtle; drag out the boxes of letters that you have saved. Sigh heavily and reread them during family gatherings. You know, the boxes of letters from sweethearts, best friends, or lonely sons and daughters away at college or in the military. Sure, it’s a guilt trip, but for a good cause. Right? Nobody wants to send thank you notes anymore and it has caused a great deal of family dissention. Seniors are not happy and they express their dissatisfaction often, but it all seems for naught. Keep sending gift and note cards whether they are acknowledged or not. Researcher say that “gratitude” is good for your health and well-being. People of all ages spend a lot of time selecting, wrapping, and mailing gifts to the people they love, but a lack of response is often perceived as a slap in the face. Forget about needing the right stationary, forget about needing special note cards, and stop lamenting about your lousy handwriting. Write your note on toilet paper, lined notebook paper, yellow legal pad pages, or a post-it-note, or two or three. In this instance it really is the thought that counts. I read somewhere that you should think of a written communication as an opportunity to express gratitude for a shared friendship. The gift and the thank you recreate a special bond. An e-mail or a text gets deleted, but a handwritten note can be read, reread, and saved in a box forever. Have you thought about framing notes or taking pictures to send by text or e-mail? As a senior; how you react to receiving, or not receiving, a thank you note is up to you. Don’t let it destroy treasured relationships. No more reminder calls or snide remarks…instead reach out; flood your loved ones with gifts and letters to let them know that you still care.