The Note Worth Keeping
Dear Lovely,
In my constant effort to live a present, tangible life, I love to revisit practices from my childhood that allow me to tap into a time when technology was not the cornerstone of connection. One such tradition is that of the handwritten note.
As a young teen, I disliked when my mother would prompt me to write thank-you notes after my birthday and Christmas. It felt laborious, and I remember thinking it was an unnecessary task when I had already said thank you to the gift giver. What was the point?—a question that would receive this answer from my mother: “It’s nice manners to send a thank-you note after someone has given you a gift.” There was never much more explanation than that, and I guess there didn’t need to be. Manners were everything in my home growing up, as they are in the home I’ve established for my boys with Brian. Seriously though, how do you feel when you receive a handwritten note? The first thing that pops into my head when I receive a handwritten note is, this person was raised right. The second is, in this day and age, the fact that they made the effort to go beyond the norm shows me this person has their priorities straight. Why yes, I have officially turned into my mom. Proud of it!
These days, I still write thank-you notes, and yes, I’ve taught my boys to do the same. I think writing handwritten notes shows the recipient that you prioritize putting forth effort for friendships. It also shows you are grounded in tradition, manners, and a desire for connection outside of technology. It’s like picking up the phone to make a phone call in lieu of relying on the informality of a text message. Some things deserve more personal attention, and a handwritten note offers friendship a more deliberate kind of care. Technology has made certain aspects of our lives easier, but that doesn’t mean that these aspects never deserve additional effort.
In my writing desk, a 200-year-old French antique I purchased from my friends at East End Salvage, I keep a slew of cards, stationery, stamps, pens, and pencils for afternoons of note writing. Having all the materials at the ready makes a task that can feel tedious easier. Besides, it’s fun to create with pretty supplies. Although I didn’t love the task of writing thank-you notes when I was young, I did love having writing supplies. It felt special and fancy to have little cards with my name embossed on the front or pretty ink pens. I also had colorful sealing wax and little stamps that I would use to seal the envelopes, leaving behind a small icon representative of me, likely an initial, a flower, or a heart.
Just the other day, I wanted to write a thank-you note to a book club for inviting me to speak but realized I didn’t have any branded stationery. It took me just a few minutes to create something on Canva and send it to a local printer—(Ian at UPS on Custer and Eldorado always takes care of me, FYI.) Within 24 hours, I had some beautiful stationery to use for such occasions.
Below are a few of my favorite writing supplies that I try to always have on hand.
Le Pen in black and in multicolored sets are my absolute favorite pens
stamps
blank cards from Trader Joe’s
Today, Lovely, I encourage you to reach out to a loved one via a handwritten note. Perhaps your birthday passed, and you can say a quick thank you for their thoughtful gesture. Maybe do like my Uncle John: I’ll receive a coupon in the mail for a restaurant he thinks Brian and I will enjoy, along with a note telling us about an upcoming trip or what he and my Aunt Paula have planned for the weekend. I adore these little notes I get from Uncle John and treasure the tradition from a time gone by. That time doesn’t have to be gone in every sense.
Write a friend or a loved one. Write someone you know who is dealing with loss. Write to say thank you; write to say hello. Writing by hand is the physical expression of thought. It’s cathartic, slowing us down long enough to consider how we really feel and what we really want to say. Enjoy the time unplugged, using paper, pen, and your spirit to connect with someone else.
