I make my children write thank you cards — for every little thing…such as gifts, kindness, etc.  When they were younger, I typed them out and then the kids wrote their names (sometimes, it was even just some lovely crayon scribbles).

It’s a MUST in my house.  Thankfullness that you are loved, thankfullness that someone cares about you to send you something, thankfullness that you are special to others.

I know I’m not everyone, and I certainly know that many folks think they’re too busy or it’s not important.  But, in our house, it’s not acceptable NOT to acknowledge something done special for you with a thank you note.

But when I spend 20 hours designing and making a quilt, $100 (at least) for the fabric and then spend $100+ to get it quilted (not counting the postage) and I give it to someone as a GIFT (more postage) — I cannot tell you how upset and disappointed I get when I receive no thanks in the mail. 

One person’s mother (of a high school graduate) sent me an email note, letting me know it arrived and it was beautiful.  But, the gift recipient didn’t send a thank you note.

And I made a beautiful quilt for my daughter’s Kindergarten and First Grade Teachers (married couple, she had the wife in K and the husband in 1st) as they had a baby in May – and we gave it to the teacher the last day of school — and I’ve heard absolutely NOTHING from them by way of thanks.

Even my own nephew, who got a beautiful quilt top for his graduation (and and aunt and cousin who drove 20 hours one way to be there for his special day) hasn’t thanked me properly.

Do you know how ungrateful that makes me feel?  If you’ve lived this quilting / thank you faux pas, I’m sure you do.

It’s WRONG – and it sure makes my desire to gift someone else with one of my quilted creations a whole lot harder to swallow.