I have never received so much passionate mail before! It seems my column which ran on January 7 in the White County News and the Towns County Sentinel and the one that followed it, has caused quite heated emotions. Here are the questions and answers. See what you think.
Thank You Notes
Dear Lula Belle,
I read an article on the computer the other day that you don't have to send a thank- you note to someone if you open their gift in front of them. Is this true? My grandmother always expects a thank- you note and we always open our gifts in front of her. --Grateful Granddaughter
Dear Granddaughter,
Oh , my Lordy! Whoever was giving that advice must have been from above the Mason- Dixon line and they just don't know better. Thank you notes are sweet, endearing and loving. How wonderful is it to go to the mailbox and see real mail? It is a treasure. Your grandmother probably does not expect it as much as she enjoys reading a special handwritten note from you. Who cares if she saw you open the gift or not? Sending a thank- you note is like sending a hug. There is no "wrong" time to send one.
(Well, that sparked a small flood of mail from some of my northern friends who felt very offended by my Mason Dixon Line comment. It was a joke, really, but some people were offended and I felt really sorry about it. One letter in particular I thought was interesting, so I printed it the next week.) Here it is:
January 14, 2010
Dear Lula Belle,
I moved to North Georgia from Michigan about 15 years ago. I have met some really nice local people who have been here all their lives, but the majority of people here are rednecks who have absolutely no manners. I feel the comment you made about being above the Mason Dixon Line was out of line. --Yankee Transplant
Dear Transplant,
Oh, me. I believe I got more letters about this than the gay question I answered last year. I have several letters like yours from friends from up north who expressed feelings similar to yours. I know it does not matter where you come from. There are gracious people in every corner of the world. I am not one to group people into stereotypes and I am awfully sorry that I made fun of the on-line columnist because she was from above the Mason Dixon. I implied the columnist didn't know what she was talking about concerning thank you notes. She has a right to her opinion and it has nothing to do with where she is from. Who knows, maybe she was right that you don't have to send thank you notes to people if you opened their gifts in front of them. I disagree, but that's just me. I still believe thank-you notes are like hugs that come out of the mail box and there is no wrong time to send one.
(Well, it seems I have started a civil war. I have locals upset with the "Yankee Transplant" and transplants offended that I called them Yankees. (Which I did not, by the way. That is how that person signed their name and I only addressed him or her by "Transplant.") But that is neither here nor there. It simply does not matter. The Yankee Transplant has a right to their opinion and I have a right to mine and you have a right to yours. It is OK to have different opinions. It makes us a unique culture.)
I recieved a great letter today from "Proud Redneck" I wish I could run it next week because it is funny but enlightening; but I am afraid we must move on. There are many other things we need to talk about and think about. Let's let this one go for now. If you feel the need to vent, please leave a comment. Let it out; but be respectful. Some of my biggest fans are children in the local schools, so keep it clean. I have never allowed comments before and never advertised this blog, so we will just give it a try.
Thanks for reading!
Warmest Wishes,
Lula Belle
