You might not think your grandparents have a lot to teach you about SMS, but you’d be wrong. That’s because people have been communicating with one another for generations, and there’s a lot we can learn by reflecting on the proper skills and etiquette from decades past.

As the holiday season approaches and you prepare to spend time with friends and loved ones—in person and virtually via text message—here are three lessons you can apply to any situation for a better, richer conversation.

Lesson #1: Make eye contact. You can’t literally do this via SMS. But you can absolutely be attentive to the conversation. If you’re visiting with someone using text messages, and the person on the other end expects a quick response, you should be aware of this and message accordingly—or explain when you’re signing off of the conversation so they’re not left on the edge of their seat for your reply.

Lesson #2: Be polite. You can turn on the TV or read a news story and see plenty of hateful language and arguing. But when it comes to building long-lasting positive relationships, that’s no way to be successful. Phrases such as please, thank you, hello, goodbye and many others can go a long way toward replicating the conversations we have in person every day.

Lesson #3: Show gratitude. Whether you run a business, a nonprofit or simply have turned your hobby into a little extra spending money, let your customers and clients know you appreciate them. Our grandparents inherently understood the need to be appreciative. It makes us feel good and helps us see how we’re making a difference. Send a group SMS to say thank you this season and all year long.

We hope your fall is going well and we wish you many wonderful memories and richer relationships in the weeks ahead. At Txtwire, we’re here to help you communicate at any point along the way with top-shelf SMS services.