when your thank you note is late...

[sweedetobee]

Do you apologize and/or state why it is late?

I owe some thank you notes and they are overdue. I have them addressed and ready to be written.

My gut says to say "Dear Jane, Thank you so much for ABC - I've been using it and I love it. I am so sorry that this note of thanks is late, but I want you to know how much I love ABC." Or something to that effect... but I was thinking of adding in why the note is late (I was seriously ill for a couple of weeks but am now fine) but then I don't want to take away from the point of the note, which is to express thanks.

What do you think?

[Ko-Ko]

I don't think you really need to state why is late. If you just thank them for the gift, and apologize for the lateness, I think you should be fine.

Ko-Ko

[Slartibartfast]

I'm wrestling with this too!  Please advise!

[bopper]

I think apologizing for it being late is good as it shows you acknowledge your deficiency, but there is no particular reason to say why unless you want to.

[Bob Ducca]

Saying why might be overkill, and isn't necessary to the apoplogy. The point is you are grateful for the gift, and you acknowledge that the thank-you should have been sent sooner.  To divert into illness, etc. may be (incorrectly, but understandably) construed as an attempt to excuse the behavior and get sympathy.  I think an apology that includes an "excuse"* is usually unsuccessful and comes across as insincere.

*I understand that sometimes apologies need explanations, but I'm talking about "I'm sorry I slapped you in the face this morning, but the coffee in the lounge was cold and I accidentally put salt on my cereal..." which really isn't apologizing at all, IMHO. 

[RuneGuardian]

I asked the same question on the old forum, and I would say pretty much that an apology with the 'thank you' will suffice. I actually am sending a late thank-you letter to a relative for a gift they sent me over a month ago. Part of my lateness is that I was away from school for three weeks and didn't have the address, but you don't always need to give the reason.