How tough is it?

My children have all been taught to appropriately thank someone when they’ve received a gift – no matter how “small” it seemed to them. I’m not saying that they now do it as adults, but at least they were taught to do so. I think they still do, at least, call my mom to thank her for things. I can only hope they also show appreciation to others.

I know that I should not give things to others with the expectation of receiving anything in return. The joy of giving should be enough. And, it really is – if I know they’ve received it and appreciate the thought behind it. A thank you card can be bought for $0.50 at Dollar Tree. A phone call is virtually free. How tough is it for the recipient to acknowledge that they’ve received something from someone? This has been a pet peeve of mine for quite some time. I’m not saying that you should thank someone “only” if the gift was expensive or sacrificial on someone else’s part, because every gift or thoughtful action should be acknowledged and the giver thanked. If you know that something was particularly special – be it the value, or if someone really took the time to “think” of you, then you should make extra effort to show your appreciation for the thought and effort that went into the gift – regardless of if you really wanted that particular item or had an immediate use it.

We all want to be acknowledged for our efforts. I have dropped the ball in the past, too, but when I did, I did my best to make up for it in other ways. But – if I’ve ever NOT thanked you for something, then please forgive my oversight and I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I don't want to point one finger at someone else without realizing I have the rest of them pointed right back at me. LOL!