Of Aliens and Thank Yous

There's a certain fill-in-the-blank quality to thank you notes that makes the thought count more than what's actually said. I try to be original when I write them, but I rarely succeed.


Dear (name here),

Thank you for the (gift/date/treat/visit/letter). It means so much to me and made my (birthday/anniversary/departure) so much more memorable.

I treasure your (friendship/love) and hope it last many more (days/weeks/years).

Thanks again.

Best/Sincerely/Love,
Me

Like I said, it's the thought that counts. But this week I received the most amazing thank you note from my six-year-old nephew and realized I've been going about writing thank you notes all wrong.



Notice that he squeezes in a "Thanks." But the card is all about the alien with a killer disease and the poisonous satellite. It captures his wild imagination so perfectly that I can hear his high-pitched voice, see his impish grin and feel his bony arms around my waist.

Why do we bother with such boring "The gift you sent made my day" schmaltz when our thank you notes have the potential to be a little piece of ourselves?

Next time you want to say thanks, why not send a whimsical doodle, an original rhyme, a newspaper clipping that amuses you or a leaf from the tree you love to sit under?