Today’s the Day for Thank You Notes and Whining

December 26 is National Thank You Note Day and, not surprisingly, also National Whining Day.

Raise your hand if your mother made you write thank you notes, the day after Christmas. Yup, mine too. In truth, it's a great tradition that teaches kids gratitude for all the loot they unwrapped at Christmas. And it's the polite thing to do, to acknowledge the efforts of loved ones to find a perfect gift for you.

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But, in reality, most people don't like to do it. And kids, especially, will whine about it. It's vacation, and they'd rather be out playing in the snow or trying out their new toys and video games, instead of doing what mostly feels like homework. 'Can't YOU do it, Mom? Why do I have to do it?' Plus, inevitably, they're going to have to thank some relative for giving them a gift they really don't like. How do you write a note expressing gratitude for that pink bunny suit that you're NEVER going to wear? 'It's JUST what I wanted!' (insert eye roll here.)

I'm going to let you in on a little secret that I learned years ago. As fun as whining can be, it's just going to postpone the inevitable. Your mom or spouse is just not going to let you off the hook. So suck it up, buttercup, and write those thank you notes. The sooner they all get done, the quicker you can get back to figuring out to use your new Ember temperature-controlled Smart coffee mug.