During this month of November when we think about all that we're thankful for, I'm reminded of my mother who taught me the importance of saying "thank you" to anyone who gave me a gift.  Every birthday and every Christmas, before I could play with any toy, my mother would sit me down and make me write a thank you note to everyone who gave me a gift. I often asked my mother, "Can't I write the thank you notes tomorrow?" She said to me, "Absolutely not!  You're doing it right now!"

 

Believe me, I didn't like writing all those thank you notes on Christmas Day or my birthday, but later I began to understand why it's so important to say "thank you" to someone who has done something nice for me. It shows that I am grateful for the gift that was given. They didn't have to give me anything. When I say "thank you" I'm letting them know how much I am grateful for what they gave.

 

So to help me with what to say in my thank you notes, my mother gave me a script to use with fill-in-the-blanks, and I still remember it today. Dear (blank), Thank you for my (blank). It looks so good on my (blank). Thank you, again. Robert. I was to fill in the blanks with the name of the gift. This script worked for most toys but it didn't work for everything. For example, I remember using this script for an aunt who often gave me pants for my birthday. So my thank you note to her said this: "Dear Aunt Giles. Thank you for my pants. It looks good on my legs. Thank you, again, Robert."

 

Well now that I'm a little older, I put a bit more thought into how I say "thank you." During the month of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my mother who taught me the importance of saying thank you. Thank you, Mother!