The Written Word - Obsolete?

It being just after the holidays, I can happily say that I finished my thank you notes.  Yes, handwritten notes on pretty stationary.  I am still of the belief that thank you notes should not be emailed or facebooked etc.  Also, I wanted to capitalize on all effort in finding addresses for holiday cards!   

my thank you note cards

After each Christmas and birthday, my mother would sit my brother and I down and watch us write out our thank you notes.  I think at the time they may have been on lined paper (we could not write in a straight line), which is not terribly pretty, but the thought was there!  Until those were complete, we were not allowed to watch TV or go play.  Of course they seemed like a drag, but since I now realize how appreciative I am when I receive one, each one was worth it.

Papyrus or Paper Source have a great variety of sale items that do the trick so you do not need to spend a fortune.  I keep a stack at my office and at home so I can quickly write one out when necessary.  Work is actually better for me because there are generally stamps around and easy mailing, so no excuses.

According to some, however, handwritten letters are becoming obsolete!  To me, receiving cards and invitations in the mail are a bright spot.  Otherwise you are left with bills and circulars, which are NO fun.  Granted, when having a party, evite and facebook are great.  Nowadays it seems to be the only way people will RSVP to an event.  The check of a box one way or another requires the least amount of additional thought or effort, compared to a separate email, text or an actual phone call.

While some people complain about the cost of stamps, I say, if someone took the time to buy and give you a gift, a little effort (and cost) in saying thank you is more than acceptable.  Also, forever stamps prevent your old stamps from becoming annoying to use!

Granted, the cost of invitations (especially for weddings), can get high when you include a lot of different things within each envelop.  Now you really only need a single invitation that includes the website that provides more information that you could ever dream of!  Even better, is now you can RSVP online with certain websites.  I recently did this and it was perfect.  They were able to write out the details of each meal choice, so you really knew what you were getting yourself into when you elected meat, fish or vegetarian.

This is my soapbox speech on handwritten letters.  There really is a time and a place for them.  Think about how great you feel when you get one in the mail.  I know I smile, try to guess who sent it based on the handwriting.  Really, I know that someone was thinking about me.  That extra effort (and the cost of the stamp) does make a big difference.  I know I cannot be alone in this!