How to Write a Letter (it’s easier than you think!)
I get fancy on the envelopes, but your own handwriting is cherished by those who love you!
Picture the daily task of taking mail from the box and sifting through catalogs, bills, and junk. Suddenly you see a different kind of envelope, brightly-colored and bearing handwriting with a pretty stamp on the front. Does your mood lift? Mine always does! Why? Because personal notes show that someone cared enough to find a notecard and envelope, write a message, add a stamp and drop in a mailbox.
In our fast-paced world, one of the greatest gifts we can give someone is our time. Handwritten notes demonstrate your care for someone; you’re showing they are worth your time. But penning a note doesn’t have to be a chore. Here are three tips and a formula that will help you write a meaningful note in under ten minutes:
1. Choose a flat card, approximately 5” x 7” in size. Why? The bigger the card, the more space there is to fill with writing, and this may be daunting for anyone not in the habit of letter writing.
2. Construct a message in three simple parts: An opening sentiment, a connecting thought, and a closing. That’s it! Like most writing, a roadmap makes it easier to get where you want to go.
3. Keep writing materials on hand so you can write when the mood strikes. I always have a few boxes of all-occasion notecards on hand, like these or these and I keep pretty stamps in a kitchen drawer.
Here the formula; just make it your own.
Dear Margeaux,
(PART 1: opener) Today I passed the florist on Holmes Avenue and saw a bunch of peonies displayed out front so of course I thought of you. We all miss you, Matt and the kids since you moved to Millbrook.
(PART 2: connecting thought) Let’s plan a Saturday together in October. Maybe we can see the Barbara Kruger show at MoMA: Thinking of you. I mean me. I mean you. Hehe…she’s the best. Tell me if 10/15 or 10/22 might work.
(PART 3: closing) I’m excited to hear what life’s like on Spencer Street! One thing’s for sure…Oakdale Court’s not the same without you.
Love, Rita
That’s it. Three brief paragraphs…just 99 words. Nothing urgent or poetic and nothing I couldn’t have said via text. But I picture the person on the receiving end of the letter opening the mailbox and seeing something special among the junk and that’s a lovely thing.
Try it out now that you have an easy formula. I challenge you to write one note this week and then maybe two next week. It might become a habit! But start with one. Maybe send a letter to me?!
Who are you going to delight first?
xo Rita