On Gratitude

My mom has always emphasized manners. She has always had us clear the dishes from the table, emphasized us helping anyone wash dishes if we’re at someone else’s house, P’s & Q’s constantly, thank you cards at Christmas, birthdays, every days…

As an adult, I’ve often failed to write thank you cards. For some reason, the past 6 months has triggered some graciousness in me. Please do not read into this, I’m not gracious all the time, in fact, I could use a huge brick of graciousness to hit me on the head.

I guess I’ve realized to have friends do favors, give me gifts, or go out of their way for me is truly a gift in itself.  They aren’t doing it to win me over, to feel better about themselves(okay perhaps), merely, they’re just being loving.   Even if people give gifts to others for the sole benefit of feeling better about themselves, they are still making the receiver feel special.

The girl I work with told me that you don’t need to write thank you cards for birthdays, only weddings, bridal showers, etc…which doesn’t make sense to me why you would do one over the other.

M’s mom had a birthday shortly before mine.  We were having a huge blowout of some of our clothing so I told him, “Hey, you should give her some of our clothes that we’re trying to get rid of” He enthusiastically took me up on the offer and snagged a couple outfits.  He told his mom, “Tiffany got these for you!”

I didn’t say anything, but I didn’t understand why he didn’t just say, “I got these for you from the company Tiffany works for.”

So, on my birthday, she got me something and made me a birthday card, or rather, a card wishing me a happy birthday and thanking me for her birthday gift.  Naturally, I wrote her back a thank you card.  A pair of pants M picked originally didn’t fit her, so with the new thank you card, I included a pair of pants.

M sent me a text yesterday: My mom wants to send you a thank you card for your thank you card which was in response to a thank you/birthday card

At this rate, his mom and I will become thank you penpals

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