No thank you!

Darby and I just finished writing our thank you notes. As I was writing them, I thought about what a silly tradition it is. I don't mind writing them at all, and I do try to be sincere, but how meaningful can you really be in a few lines? And with postage increasing so much, it's expensive to send them. When I get a thank you note from one of my friends, I open it, read it quickly, and then throw it out immediately. Occasionally, if the card has a pretty picture on it, I'll cut the front off and reuse it for scrapbooking. But, generally, the card goes from unopened to trash in under a minute. Is it really worth it? It seems especially silly when the person gave you your gift in person. Shouldn't a heartfelt thanks at the time suffice? I'd much rather get a "just because" note or a detailed e-mail than the compulsory thank you note. Of course, I'm not going to stop writing thank you notes or anything. I know they mean a lot to some people. But if I ever give you a gift, feel free to skip the note.