What happened to "Thank You"

So I might be getting on my soap box a little bit, but my mom and I were talking a few days ago about how she had written a thank you note to a friend who had taken her to lunch. I thought it was just wonderful and such a nice gesture. I remember being young and my mother making me sit down to write thank you notes to everyone who had ever given me a gift no matter the occassion. I never could understand why I was forced to write a note to a grandmother who I saw all the time. And let me tell you...if you didn't write one it was talked about!! I kept thinking it must be her generation.

Today people are so busy they seem to be too busy to even say thank you. I realize that not everyone has time to sit down and write twenty different thank you notes for a gift, I understand...really I do...I'm at home with a toddler all day. However, what about a phone call? Personally I would rather talk to the person and hear how much they appreciated the gift, especially when it's someone I don't see that often. When people say they are too busy to say "thank you" it makes me think...what about the person who took the time to go out and buy the gift? They were able to take the time to choose something and I bet if they hadn't you'd be offended!

Right now Bo is obviously too young to write thank you notes or pick up the phone, but I can assure you when he's old enough I will be doing the same thing that my mother did...sitting down with him and helping him write thank you notes. Even though he'll probably complain the entire time like I did, I want him to learn the importance of manners..."please" and "thank you" along with "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am"...we're southern...it's what we do! People want to know that you appreciated their gift, no matter how small. More importantly they sometimes just want to know that you received it. It doesn't have to be a formal, hand written letter. Just a simple "thank you" would be nice! I can promise you, still to this day when I receive something from my grandmother I always call immediately to say thank you. It always brightens her day and mine!