The Beauty of the Handwritten Note

When I was a young girl, I always knew how I wanted to spend my allowance. I would ride my bike to the neighborhood Hallmark store with two ideas in mind. The first idea was to purchase the latest issue of Teen magazine, and a pretty nail color, or second, buy a box of pretty stationery. In my bedroom I had a single drawer dedicated to my pretty paper and pens. Rather than phoning a friend, I would sit and pen a handwritten note…

Dear Mary,

Thank you for being my friend and letting me play with your new puppies.

I’m going to ask my parents if I can have one.

Your Friend,

Glenda

Strange as it may seem, I do believe this behavior was an early blossoming to what my life would become – a writer. It made me smile when my friends told me they received my letter. What child doesn’t enjoy receiving their own personal mail? I can’t think of one. Fast forward 40 years and I still have a night-stand drawer filled with pretty stationery, and I continue to relish in the beauty of the handwritten note.

I am still a firm believer in communicating the old fashioned way – by sitting down with pen and paper. In my opinion, taking the time to write a note to someone shows you truly care. Sure there are times when a nondescript email is appropriate, however, in cases when it is not; I suggest sending a message on well-selected stationery.

During my oldest son’s senior year, he was met with some challenges. The administrators at his high school went the extra mile to make sure he reached his goal. One was even kind enough to offer him nuggets of wisdom he could glean from in the coming years. In a day when people typically hear from people when it’s bad news, especially school personnel, I took it upon myself to send notes of gratitude. By doing this, it hopefully demonstrated how important their acts were toward my son, but it also made me feel good for spreading genuine, heart-felt appreciation. Do I send personalized, written notes to everyone? No, I do not. I typically send one when my heart moves me to do so… when I’m touched.

To start you on your way to letter writing, here are a few suggestions:

Purchase a quality set of stationery. Crane & Co has a lovely selection, and so does Papyrus. Also, if you live near Pasadena, Vroman’s has an excellent inventory. Another good source for pretty stationery are museum gift shops.
A beautiful writing pen. I adore my new Michelle Morin designed pen for Anthropologie. I also love having a selection of colored pens in pink, purple, orange, etc.
Have a fragrant essential oil handy, like lavender. Lightly scent your envelope by dabbing the oil on the seal portion of the envelope. When the receiver opens the envelope, they’ll be even more surprised when the scent permeates their space.
Don’t lick your envelopes. Either purchase a sealer or use a glue stick.
Close off the envelope with a seal that represents you.
Finally – do not rush when writing your notes. It would be terrible to make a mistake on your pretty paper. Take your time and enjoy the moment.

I hope you enjoyed this post on the beauty of the handwritten note. And please, take some time to share with the community your thoughts on the subject by commenting below. I would love to read your words. {wink}

Glenda K. Harrison

From the runway to your personal closet, be it advice on the proper attire, or suggestions on how to live life to the fullest, readers throughout the world are being inspired by connecting to “So What to Twenty”, a style blog by creator, author, and freelance style contributor, Glenda K. Harrison, graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising with a degree in Marketing and Merchandising. Although fashion and style are important to her, Harrison's real passion is reminding others of the importance of self-love and using one's God-given gifts and talents. Her blog inspires readers to view fashion as an all-encompassing vehicle and encourages women to explore their personal gifts, style, power, and, most importantly, inner beauty. Harrison has been quoted saying, "I view my clothing as the cast of characters in my life, and together we tell the story of Glenda." The death of her mother spurred Harrison to launch A Daughter's Heart in 2008, a cancer support service that partnered with hospitals to provide love and support to women undergoing cancer treatment. She put aside that work to focus on her lifelong dream of touching lives through her writing and her passionate point of view on the subject of style. Harrison has authored an inspirational memoir titled, A Place Called Peace, and, True Style: A Look Beyond the Surface. Both available on CreateSpace eStore and Amazon.

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