Miss Manners: Do I need to thank someone for sending me a ‘thinking of you’ card?

"Miss Manners" Judith Martin

"Miss Manners" Judith MartinCourtesy Andrews McMeel Universal

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Sometimes I get a thinking-of-you greeting card, or something similar, out of the blue from a friend.

I feel like the mannerly thing to do, now that there’s text and email, is to send a quick note thanking them for thinking of me, or remarking on the beauty of the card and sentiment. My friend thinks it’s OK to just receive the card and not send a response. What say you?

GENTLE READER: Nothing says “thank you for thinking of me” like completely ignoring the person right back.

The mannerly thing to do would be to respond in kind. Miss Manners prefers handwritten correspondence, but she will take what she can get.

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(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

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