My grandparents were very interested in passing on the etiquette of writing thank you notes. While there were many wonderful things to open under the Christmas tree, there was always that square box which I opened last and with a forced smile of appreciation. In it lay the dreaded, virgin-white thank you stationary. When I was young, the notes were lined with circus animals that decorated the margins, but as I grew older, I advanced to cream colored cards, often with my initials on them.
My dutiful attempts were read over, just to make sure I had the right gift with the right person, but the readers did not edit my sentiments at all. Upon her death, the children of one of my great aunts found my six-year-old attempt at graciousness. This aunt had always given me a silver spoon, for when I got married, she was quick to tell me. My note indicated that while I would never get married, I would use the spoon to eat my morning cereal. This had apparently amused this dry, and strait-laced lady enough that she kept the note.
I have now written the ultimate thank you note which takes the form of a book. It is about growing up with these wonderful people who I was lucky enough to have as grandparents. While it invokes an era gone by, it is eternal in that it shows the power of love. The book is called The Smallest Tree in the Forest and can be found on Amazon. I hope I can share these wonderful people with you.