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I have a friend who recently hosted a huge reception for his daughter's marriage. He told me there were a few people who never responded to the invitation, costing my friend extra money and definitely extra stress. Let us move on to gifts, as in those for wed- dings, confirmations, birthdays, etc. People no longer feel obligated to thank the giver for his/her generosity. Why has it become OK to just take the gift and use it, spend it or wear it without acknowledging the giver? I get very upset when I do not get a thank-you note, and I refuse to rationalize the other person's bad manners, saying to myself, "Oh, they're too busy. It's not that important." Yes … it is. Having good manners — knowing the right thing to do — is not a generational charac- teristic. And it is not a regional one, either. In addition, it generally does not cost anything to learn how to behave correctly. We usually get lessons in manners from our parents. It is just a matter of taking a little extra time to let your friends know how much you appre- ciate them, as they have shown their feelings for you. Thank you very much for listening. % LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Sarasota News Leader wel- comes letters to the editor from its readers. Letters should be no more than 300 words in length, and include the name, street address and telephone number of the writer. Letters should be emailed to Letters@SarasotaNewsLeader.com, with "Letter to the Editor" in the subject line. Let- ters actually printed will be selected based on space available, subject matter and other fac- tors. We reserve the right to edit any letters submitted for length, grammar, spelling, etc. All letters submitted become the property of The Sarasota News Leader. Don't have your own subscription to The Sarasota News Leader? Subscribe for FREE and receive a weekly notification when the latest issue is available online. FREE SUBSCRIPTION OPINION Sarasota News Leader June 6, 2014 Page 90