How to Write a Thank You Note

These Thank You  and blank cards are available from the USPS

It's that time of year...the season for graduations and engagements and weddings and new babies and new jobs and new homes and all sorts of events for which people give gifts. And, that means, a lot of people are needing to write thank you notes any day now.

Let's get the biggest questions out of the way first. Yes, you need to write "real" thank you notes or letters. No, an email isn't good enough. And, neither is a phone call or simply yelling across the room after you've opened the gifts. No, a generic "Thanks" on Facebook, Twitter or even Blogger isn't enough. You need to sit down with a pen and paper and write a thank you. It can be a long letter or a short note. It can be on a special Thank You card or it can be on some nice stationery. If all you have is notebook paper, that's better than not sending a note at all.

Now, on to the actual note. Your thank you note needs to be personal. The thank you needs to be heartfelt and the note needs to reflect that feeling. So, you need to use a formal or semi-formal greeting, such as "Dear Aunt Milly" or "Hello, Sarah!" Something like that.

Then, you need to get right into the thank you part. That's the reason for this letter, so don't put it off. You can use those exact words, "Thank you..." or you can say something that conveys the same feeling, such as "I appreciate..." or "I am so grateful to you for..." If you choose to use other words than "Thank you," try to use that phrase at least once somewhere in the note, even if it's just in the closing.

Mention the gift by name. That adds to the personalization of the note. And, if you can, add a sentence or two about how you plan to use the gift. Some examples:

Thank you for the fountain pen that you sent for my graduation. As you can see, I'm already putting it to good use. I can't wait to write more letters with it!

You cannot imagine how much I appreciate the case of diapers you gave me at the baby shower Sunday. Soon, it will seem like we never have enough! Thank you!

I greatly appreciate the house-warming gift you brought to the party Saturday night. The candleholders look perfect on the dining room table.

Thank you for the gift card! I can't wait to go shopping!

If, by some stroke of bad luck, the gift is not really something you appreciate or that you can use, still try to be gracious to the giver. Try something like, "Thank you for the candy dish and the giant bag of jelly beans. They sure are colorful!"

If you are tempted to write about something else in your letter, unrelated to the "thank you," keep it brief. If possible, just save the unrelated comments for another letter. But, if you think it's appropriate, go ahead and write another paragraph.

Now, end the letter with a sincere closing. Maybe just simply, "Sincerely, Carla" Or, maybe something a little more wordy, "Again, thank you! ~ Carla"

Many people dread writing thank you notes. But, it's not that difficult once you get started. And, a thank you letter is most impressive to the receiver!