Think about what you collected out of your mailbox during the past week. If it was mostly coupon specials, bulk mail advertisements and bills then your mailbox is like most today. Not many people send or receive handwritten cards and letters anymore. That’s too bad. Because if you’re honest, you’ll admit that getting a personal note in the mail brightens your day. So here’s the challenge to you: Make someone’s day and send them a handwritten note or letter.
It doesn’t matter whether you write your note in pencil or pen – whatever is most comfortable for you. Pen tends to have a more dignified appearance, but your recipient won’t be wondering about your stylus choice. What does matter is that you are writing words rather than typing them or sending abbreviated messages that say writing out an entire word was just too much trouble.
Send your letter on attractive paper or have fun picking out an appropriate Christian greeting card. If you do choose a card, you’ll still want to compose a few lines to make it truly personal. Your recipient wants to hear from you, not just the writer at the card company.
Composing a meaningful letter isn’t hard, though as the practice wanes people may feel self-conscious about it. Here are some basics:
- Open with an appropriate greeting. Dear _______, works in most cases, but Hello or , Greetings _____, or even Surprise! are all fine. You just need a conversation opener.
- Next, let the person know why you are writing. You were thinking of them. You were praying for them. You have been wondering how they are doing. You want to thank them. You want to encourage them…this only needs to be a single line.
- The body of your letter can be as long or short as you like. One or two lines or a few paragraphs depending upon what you have to say. The key is to be specific. A Christian greeting card is designed to be useful in multiple situations, but your words should be completely individualized.
- Close with a simple Love___, Gratefully yours, So glad we’re friends, or other suitable words and your name.
- The last part of sending a personal letter is addressing the envelope and affixing a stamp. Once you start making it a habit to write cards and letters you may find that choosing stamps can be half the fun. Seasonal stamps, stamps with historical significance, stamps with celebrity faces, birds, flowers, states – there are so many to choose from and you can have fun matching stamps to the personal likes of your recipient.
Receiving a handwritten note in the mail is like receiving a surprise gift. Everyone feels a tiny surge of happiness when they find a letter in the mailbox. And opening it to get to the contents can be as fun as opening a gift from a loved one. So decide to make someone’s day…or week…or month… and send them a personal note. If you are looking for stationery, check out The Printery House where you’ll be sure to find the perfect paper or Christian greeting card to brighten someone’s day.