Handwritten Love

I made a commitment recently to write and send at least three handwritten notes a week.  They can be notes of gratitude, congratulations, or positive thoughts, but they must be thoughtfully handwritten. No quick little "thanks, it was nice to see you" notes are allowed. It requires a focus on the emotion and the real intent of the note, which is to share some handwritten love with the people in my life.

Before I go any further, I need to admit something. The original plan was to write a note every day, but I just couldn't keep up with it.  I decided it would be better to set a reasonable goal that I can live with than to start out with a flash and eventially quit because I "can't do it right." So, I'm writing notes at least three days a week with the hope that someday I can work up to making it a daily practice.

I started this recently, but I've already learned a few things I'd like to share:

1. It's not as easy as it looks.  I attribute this to the fact that we are so accustomed these days to sending a quick email to communicate that we have lost touch with what it takes to spend time creatively communicating a simple thank you. Each note requires a few minutes of thought, more than I expected. 
2. Writing it by hand matters. When a note is written by hand, it becomes more personal. Your handwriting makes it uniquely yours so both the words and the physical writing speak with your individual voice.
3. Handwritten notes speak loudly. In a world of impersonal digital communication, handwritten notes are rare, so they are noticed. 
4. The process gets the writer in touch with emotions and relationships. Each thank you note focuses me on gratitude. Each note of congratulations focuses me on happiness for the person to whom I'm writing. As I write, I'm thinking about that person and the role s/he plays in my life and how important s/he is to me.

At a time when we seem to have become less connected to each other in many ways, sending some handwritten love is an easy way to strengthen the connections with those we care about.

What was the last handwritten note you wrote?  When did you send it?