EDITOR:

It appears that in the last few decades the practice of responding to favors, gifts and kind acts with a written “thank you” has gone the way of extinct species and typewriters. I have been sending graduation, birthday and even wedding gifts and often getting no response. Therefore, were they possibly not received? What’s up with this? No emails or phone calls. I know more folks of my generation are baffled too. I personally like responding sharing my ‘thanks’ for presents I receive. In the “good old days” a ‘thank you’ was automatic. And we taught our kids that. The next generation did not catch on. Did my kids slip up?

Recently in early COVID-19 days, I encouraged those of us more fortunate to consider giving some of their stimulus money away, suggesting grocery gift cards. I sent U.S. mail and Facebook messages to people asking if they desired such. I often got zero response, not even a “thanks but okay here, or thanks, but not needed, but my neighbor could use one.”

A year ago I met a grandmother who had nine grandchildren, only two local. She sent birthday, Christmas and Easter gifts yearly to all. She received absolutely nothing in return. You know my response to her, don’t you? “Enough. Stop. No more!” One FB friend told me about this approach: Send a card referring to an enclosed check or cash telling the recipient to enjoy buying a gift — and then ‘forget’ to enclose the money. Be prepared as to how you wish to respond to the follow-up inquiry.

Many of us, however, are grateful for many people in our lives, but often we don’t express it. Let’s give people the joy of telling them, gift or no gift. Let’s not take them for granted. We like words of appreciation, so let’s make an effort- — in writing or verbally, to share our gratitude, a conscious effort. We can all easily be guilty of not making a timely response to a phone or social media message — yes? Let’s do better. Try U.S. mail — remember that? Dollar Tree makes cards very inexpensive.

This is not one of those “don’t wait until they pass on before you contact them guilt trips” or the “now I owe you one” games of one-upmanship. Random acts of kindness are great. Let’s do concerted, directed ones too. Please say ‘thanks’!

Mike “Chief” Olson

Escanaba