Salutations

Mary recently sat down to write thank-you notes for her birthday gifts. When she was finished, she handed them to me to address and mail. I was surprised to notice that there was no salutation (Dear Grandma...) on any of the notes. Each one just jumped straight into the body of the letter. 

I asked Mary why she didn't include the customary greeting. Her response: "Oh, Mom, that is so old-fashioned! Nobody does that anymore."

Sigh. Me: "Mary, it's important. We still use greetings." 

"But Mom, I've watched you write lots of texts and emails without it." 

Ouch. We really are role models, even when we don't think they're paying attention. 

Note to self: 9-year-olds are ALWAYS paying attention. And also: maybe I ought to edit this post to add, "Dear Gentle Readers," at the top.