Old-fashioned values are out with the trash
Thank you,
Waste Not, Want Not."
Dear Amy: I will be retiring from my current job after 20 years. I wanted to give thank-you presents to two coworkers I have known for almost that entire time period.
I appreciate their friendship and their dedication to the work our agency does, providing services to individuals with developmental disabilities.
Can you suggest an appropriate thank-you gift to them as friends, colleagues and dedicated professionals to the individuals we serve?
-- Near Future Retiree
Dear Retiree: Nothing beats a well-expressed, personal, and sincere note. Your note should include expressions of gratitude, as well as at least one specific noteworthy memory of your time working together.
Along with the note, it is thoughtful to try to match gifts to the personal interests of the recipients. If a colleague is passionate about gardening, you could have a rose or lilac bush sent to their home -- or send them a gift card for a nursery. Plants are great gifts because they serve as an ever-growing reminder of the person they are from.
If your colleague does some of his best thinking over a good cup of coffee, a special handmade mug along with some high-grade coffee might make them smile.
Dear Amy: Thank you for printing the letter from "In a Quandary," who wrote about his wife's (illegal) abortion over 50 years ago.
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