Thank you notes

I wanted to share my opinion about the importance of thank you notes. When a person receives a gift, especially by mail, it is always polite and proper to mail a thank you note to the person who sent it. I enjoy sending and giving gifts to other family members, but don't understand why some of them don't think that sending thank you notes is necessary. If a person takes the time to buy a gift, maybe a gift card, and then sends that to a person, the recipient should let the other person know that he or she received the gift and appreciated it. This practice shows maturity and is always the correct thing to do. If a gift is given in person, a thank you note isn't necessarily needed but the recipient could send a note anyway, especially if the gift is large or very special.
Another reason that thank you notes are appropriate is that they help the giver better remember birthdays from year to year. If a person receiving a gift acknowledges and thanks the giver, it always helps the giver to better remember the next year. Even if a thank you note is sent late, but within a reasonable period of time, it lets the giver know that the recipient is grateful.
Because of what I wrote here, I might not be mailing any gifts for the next year. That may motivate family members who don't like to write a simple thank you note. Then, when I start mailing gifts again, I will see if the gift recipients better understand the importance and appropriateness of writing the thank you note.