The Prehistoric Handwritten Note

Growing up as a kid in Cincinnati, I always got excited when it came time for Christmas cards, to wish my friends and family a Happy Holiday and Happy New Year! The New Year for me was quickly followed with birthday invitations and then thank you notes! You see, my birthday is in January, so it’s a busy time of year for parties and celebrations! I love to write a handwritten note and I love to receive them too – the artwork, the colors, the message, and even the perfect pen! Unlike an email or text, there is so much that you can do with a note to personalize it.

I can vividly remember giving my dad a stack of cards to send out each Christmas and each birthday. He would always chuckle, having to play mailman for me once again as a little girl. Back in those days, cursive was essential, and thoughts were more thoughtful and caring on actual paper. How often do we even see a handwritten note anymore? Whether it be in cursive or traditional writing?

As society moves quickly and technology is fast-changing, so do our habits and even our handwriting. I will always enjoy writing in cursive, that prehistoric dinosaur. Birthday wishes now are often sent by text or social media, perhaps with an added fancy digital emoji. Boring! Where is the thought really? Thank you notes are now quickly typed out or worse…. cut and pasted!

What happened to the beautiful and thoughtful handwritten note? Writing a letter or note may require (gasp) no technology at all and a bit more personal effort. I am sure we can all remember handwritten notes that we have received, and sometimes even saved.

Ironically, there are quite a few great benefits to a handwritten note:

1. You can be quite certain it will be read!
2. It’s a great “tool” to get in touch with clients or to stand out to a customer. Even more so in the Covid times and with a relationship-driven industry.
3. Studies show that it can be therapeutic to the writer! There are no studies that show this same benefit for email or text.

I have a magical collection of notes for work, for friends and family, for holidays, birthdays, and many more perfect moments to share and celebrate. Now more than ever, with less face to face and more zoom and masks, the handwritten note is essential! How ironic – as I am writing this, the doorbell rings. It’s a turkey and pecan pie delivery with a handwritten note inside. A Thank You from my Cyber Group Family. How wonderful is that?!

I’d love to hear your comments on this … Write on!