When’s the last time you received or sent a personal long-form letter or handwritten card?
Odds are it was an occasion: a birthday, Valentine’s Day, or maybe Mothers’ Day. These are all lovely times for thoughtfulness, but it is such a treat to get a card or letter out of the blue — just because someone was thinking of you or missed you. It’s also an amazing feeling to write something sweet, thinking of one person, on beautiful paper or a gorgeous card.
Here’s our invitation for this weekend: pick a person to whom you want to send a card or letter. It doesn’t have to be a close friend — you could say thank you to a drama teacher from high school … let your kids’ teacher know you admire their work … tell your neighbor how lucky you feel to be friends … write a postcard to a childhood friend … create a collage for a faraway grandparent … The point is to let someone know you’re thinking about them and appreciating them.
One of the most thoughtful and unique cards I have ever received was created from a page torn from a fashion magazine with a message scribbled over the image. I felt like the sender got me!
So there’s no “right” way to send a letter. Be creative, be goofy, be loving, be yourself. And as you drop your letter or card in the mailbox, spend one extra moment thinking of the person you’ve written — wishing him/her all the best in the world.
Guaranteed, you’ll be making two people very happy.
I can not agree with you more.
Oh, yes, handwritten notes are a wonderful thing. My parents taught me at an early age that thank-you notes are important; the lesson became ingrained in me, not as a rote obligation but as a precious opportunity to pen a word of gratitude. It’s a lovely way to connect to people and to shine a sweet light on their uniqueness/good deed/way in which they add to life.
I’m attempting to start my son down this same thoughtful path. As soon as he was old enough to scribble, we started sharing some of his, ahem, art with others. Now he draws pictures and signs his name and dictates a sentence of love and thanks to friends, family and acquaintances. I put his exact words in quotations. And when someone is celebrating or sick or in need of a an act of kindness, we always have extra drawings of his that we personalize. (This is also a lovely way to utilize the proliferation of artwork a five-year-old produces!)
Also, my 91-year-old great aunt still writes notes. And the cards and letters she receives? She takes time each day to pick a different one to read and to pray especially for the sender(s) — for any specific needs of which she’s aware and for God’s blessings. What a simple yet mighty ministry.
What a sweet lesson to teach your son.