Not to start on a negative, but this is one of my pet peeves...people who send condolences or RSVPs, a written invitation or congratulations or any other such personal communications in an e-mail. I mean really, how sincere is it when the receiver knows that this is something you popped off on your iPhone while waiting at the dentist?
As Alan Weiss points out in his Balancing Act Newsletter, “Texting ‘I feel 4 U’ is not the same, somehow, as writing four sentences of sympathy and support. We can all afford the ten minutes.”
In this day of “instant” everything, have we forgotten how to pick up a pen and a piece of paper?
Here’s an easy way to make sure this type of “never have time for” correspondence doesn’t happen to you.
- Purchase five cards or post cards.
- Purchase stamps.
(These first two steps are honestly the hardest part of this!) - Put your favorite music on, settle in and think of five people you love and “never” write because you “never” have the time. Possibly one of your five might be someone who is struggling with a difficult situation where a handwritten note will mean so much.
- Next work down your list and give each person a single card with a sentence or two:
“I so often think about you and wish we lived closer! How are you? All’s well with me, Love....." - Post the notes in the mail... and make someone’s day special!
** For those of you who do not like to spend time shopping for cards (this is not me!), here is an online solution- Jack Cards
I feel 4 U! Writing with paper and pen is becoming a dying art. Whoops, I better send that by snail mail! Good post.
ReplyDeleteThis so inspired me I went out over the weekend and purchased all my upcoming friends & family Birthday cards. Whew, there are a lot of people born in March & April!
ReplyDeleteI then sat down this morning, wrote my "best wishes" and they are ready to go in the post!
This was one of my 'resolutions' for this year! So far I've been doing pretty well, got 5 birthdays and one valentine and one condolence done. I'm planning for it to carry thru March ( ;) ;) ), and HOPING I can make it thru Christmas and actually send cards this year. don't expect anything tho.
ReplyDeletejeanne, aka salmonbake
I have another courtesy beef -- if you don't mind going off-topic just slightly. People who prioritize you on the phone. We all know about being on the losing end of call waiting (or maybe just I do). Here's a new wrinkle: I've offered to give free professional services to a friend. We set a firm telephone appointment to discuss it. When that time came, she called me -- but to ask if we could put the phone call off by about 30 minutes because she was on Skype with Dubai. Feeling passive aggressive, I said, "okay, but you should know that I just rushed someone off the phone myself to honor this appointment." Which was true, but a "better I should suffer" ring to it. She got the message and signed off with Dubai to take the Santa Fe appointment. It's exhausting to constantly have to defend the basics of respectful treatment.
ReplyDeleteJeanne - I hope your resolution carries (at least) through March ;-)
ReplyDeleteMartha - the "exhaustion in defense of respect"... been there, done that!