History of the Handwritten Note

I am a BIG fan of the handwritten note and still have many analogue tendencies that are revealing themselves in 2015 as being quite strange.  For example, I still keep a Filofax calendar to set all my appointments.  If I don't write it down with pen and ink, I cannot remember a thing.  I also write out grocery lists and to do lists on index cards....a habit my grandfather used to do and I simply adopted it when I was a child.  As much as I'm a Facebook and Instagram junky, I also toggle the analogue world with reverence and glee. 

In the technological age of digital and social media, however, the art of the handwritten note is a craft fast becoming obsolete.  And yet, it is still one of the most welcoming and powerful modes of communication.  When receiving a handwritten note, we have a tendency to pay attention.  There is thought and feeling and intention behind the delivery and it's quite sweet, and nowadays, rare, which makes the reception that much more enticing.

Perhaps because it is so personal and heartfelt to write a note and the process also requires patience, time and materials.  Materials like pen or pencil and paper or card.  There is an effort that is embedded so beautifully and organically in this plan of sharing thoughts and experiences, gratitude and thankfulness. 

It is different than the immediacy of writing a text or email.  When writing and sending and then receiving a hand written note or letter, there is the quality of  time and attention to details that are considered.  It takes TIME to choose the card, reflect on the words, write the note, seal and address the envelope, place the stamp, and mail the package.  On the receiving end, there is also the time it takes for the post to be delivered. 

It is an exchange and a form of communication that is timeless and exquisite and I invite you to practice your skill set and see how it feels to send some notes out into the world.  Choose one person each week and send a "thinking of you" note to them and see what happens. 

As I was writing this post, I was curious about the history of the handwritten note and this is what I discovered : Click here to read about it. 

And then I also was reminded of a postcard that came to me hand written from Costa Rica a couple of years ago.  It was never signed and so I have no idea who sent it to me.  But it serves as a reminder to me of the importance of sending postcards, notes and cards to friends, lovers, family and strangers, too.  It is also a reminder of the sweetness of messages that come through in unexpected ways.

Write with your hand and your heart and send it out to someone today.  It may be the most profound message that someone receives. 

#secretagentstephanieculen #mydailyom