The Art of the Thank-You
My birthday is coming up, and I'm bound to get a few well-wishes, some cards, and maybe even a present or two. I've spent the first half of this year purchasing presents for my family members, and my birthday always wraps up the streak (until the fall). It's easy to say "Thank you!" for a present - certainly we've all been taught to say "Thank you" since we were kids - but why is it nowadays that saying "Thank you" is so taboo? I bought a very nice present for someone this year - someone whom I love very much and has done so much for me - and I was very surprised at the response. Instead of a "Thank you!" I got a "You didn't have to give me THAT much." And I was really surprised. And a little hurt, too. Why did the amount of the present make such a big effect? It's not like this present was for some random person that I didn't know very well. Instead, this was given out of appreciation for years of se