One Chanukah, a mother decided that she was no longer going to keep nagging her children to write thank-you notes for the presents they received from relatives. It was time for them to decide what was right for themselves without her cajoling and reminding them.
As a result, their generous grandmother never received any acknowledgment of the generous checks she had given them—not a single tiny peep of thanks from either of these kids. It seemed as if they were not ready to properly experience or express gratitude.
It was a real disappointment.
The next year, things were already different, however, and both mother and grandmother were thrilled at the sudden shift in behavior. The grandmother’s eyes twinkled as she told a friend triumphantly, “The children came over in person to thank me.”
“How wonderful!” the friend exclaimed. “That’s very impressive. What do you think caused the change in behavior?”
“Oh, that’s easy,” the grandmother replied. “This year, I just didn’t sign the checks.”
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