You’re already texting, calling, video conferencing, and sending emails to stay connected during this safer-at-home season, but you’re missing out on a powerful tool…the written note. Make someone’s day with a few hand-written lines.
The backstory
Years ago, a great friend of mine taught me an important lesson. She sent me a written note. I don’t remember the occasion, but I know what she wrote in the note, because it’s the same thing she always writes in a note … that she is grateful for our friendship. It was a little gift delivered in my mailbox. The experience was so satisfying I wanted to do the same for others.
My opportunity soon arrived. I got invited to a Fourth of July party. The host put together games and got everyone involved. We were all split into teams (which helped to get to know people) and the competition began! The games were all kid-friendly. After eating we launched water balloons – two huge barrels full. The prep to make this a relaxing and fun time for everyone must have been hours and hours. To say thank you, I sent a note. Just a few sentences to say thanks for the invite and that I had a nice time. The reply? I was told that was the first time they had ever received a thank you note about the party and the note was really appreciated.
After, I knew it wasn’t just me that appreciated a thank you note or a note of encouragement. I have an assortment of note cards on hand I can send out. I send notes to thank friends for visiting from out of town, to friends and family who I visit, to people who help me out in some way. Sometimes I send a note just to say hi. And that brings me to today.
Notes for today
Up until last week I was using text, calls, video conferencing and email to stay connected. Then I realized…I have a full bin of notecards. I decided to send some out. Responses I got:
“Thank you for your note!”
“What a very nice surprise in my mailbox”
“Thank you for the happy mail it arrived today. So nice to get a real letter!”
I was reminded of the power of the note once again.
What’s in a note?
My notes tend to be three to four sentences. I try to personalize the note. The personalization varies depending on how up to date I am on the life of the person I’m sending it to. I also start with the date at the top for reference. The notes I’ve sent out recently go something like this:
Hi Friend!
Just a note to let you know I’m thinking of you. I hope all is well in this crazy “safer-at-home” season. I can’t wait to see your project that you’ve been working on when we’re able to get together again. I’ve been keeping busy prepping my flower beds for summer…they’ve never looked so good 😊
Take care!
Teresa
Is it personal enough?
Looking at the couple of lines I’ve written it doesn’t seem all that personal, does it? But there’s something special about getting a note. It’s an unexpected gift, a reminder someone is thinking of us and cares enough to take the time to write a note and send it out. Based on the reactions of my friends and my own reaction, it’s clear receiving a note is heartwarming. And who doesn’t need a little more of that right now?
Note basics
Never written a note? It might feel uncomfortable at first, but once you feel the warmth you’ve send reflected back to you, you’ll be glad you took the time. Here are some tips:
- You can use plain paper and a plain envelope if that’s what you have in the house. Alternatively, you can purchase note cards. I like note cards for two reasons: a) You can’t write a novel because there’s not that much space. A few lines are all that fit b) The image or text on the front telegraphs the sentiment.
- Where do you find note cards? For a huge variety, try etsy.com. If you would rather have fewer choices (etsy can be seriously overwhelming), try a local store like Target. If you are sending notes in business you might want to purchase cards with your company’s logo or your name. In this case a place like vistaprint.com can help.
- Write out what you are going to say before you put it in the note card.
- Don’t overthink what you want to say. Remember it’s what you want to say, not what you think you should say.
- It’s ok to make a mistake. Draw a line through your word (or scribble it out) and keep going. If there are too many scribbles, start with a fresh card.
- Hand write your note. And make it legible. (If there’s some reason that makes it impossible for you to hand write the note, you may print one out, but if at all possible hand write the note even if it will take you some time. A hand-written note is a touch more special.)
- Personalize the note, but each note doesn’t have to be 100% unique.
tl;dr
A hand-written note can mean the world to the person who receives it. Write one today!
engineer your life
Choose one person to send a note to. It can be someone under your own roof or someone that will receive your note in the mail. Gather your supplies and write a note!
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash