The other day, I read a Handwritten Notes Facebook post by a good friend, Jared Peterson. He’s a great writer and regularly posts “Story Time” on his personal page. We’re from the same era, and many of his posts resonate with me.
He reminisced about the good ‘old days before smartphones and social media became our main modes of communication. It got me thinking about the handwritten notes I’ve received and how important they are to me.
In this post, we’ll talk about why handwritten notes create JOY and improve our life.
Why Handwritten Notes
If all we’re trying to do is communicate, then what is the significance of a handwritten note? Why does it matter as long as the message is given? Handwriting is distinctly individual. It’s why our signature is important. Because it identifies us specifically.
When I was growing up, handwriting was the most widely used form of communication. We wrote notes to each other in class, sent letters in the mail to our grandparents, siblings, and pen pals, and wrote thank you cards after receiving a gift. Recognizing someone’s handwriting was as easy as recognizing their voice. You got a note, and you knew who it was from even if you didn’t see their name.
Everything is different today. Jared’s thoughts on handwritten notes spoke to me and got me thinking a lot about the significance of communication, especially in written form. Here’s what he wrote:
Story Time with Jared Peterson
Handwritten Notes
I remember the good ‘ol days when handwritten notes were passed in the classroom. Handwritten letters were exchanged with pen pals and communication was personal and real. I have quite a few memories of the way things used to be. Come to think of it, I probably have every letter that was sent to me prior to email becoming the norm. There’s an old blue footlocker out in the shed that is loaded with things like that. I oughta dig it out and reread some just for a trip down memory lane.
Nothing says ‘I love you’ or, ‘I care about you’ better than a letter, written on purpose, sealed, stamped and sent with the best intentions and the expectation of a letter in return. I have had a few freiends like that over the years. It has always been easier for me to express myself in writing because I was so darn shy in my younger years.
I remember sixth grade was about the time when girls began to pass notes to boys in class. For some reason, it seems like girls were the instigators of the notes. As luck would have it, a note or four would get intercepted by the teacher and First Amendment rights were violated by the teacher reading the note to the entire class! Fortunately, none of mine were ever exposed to my classmates.
Remember the way notes were carefully folded? There was an unspoken code between classmates that regardless of how you viewed note passing, you would never be the weak link in the note-passing chain. We all did it!
I look at how the digital world has made it so easy to send a message to friends and yes, old classmates. I just got a message from a sweet friend of my early childhood this morning! Isn’t it a blessing to still have lines of communication with people who have always been important in your life? It’s fun to compare fun stories about grandkids, life events, and keeping in touch just because. It seems like the post office has become just the place to receive bills and messenger, texts, and emails are for friends.
Mama always encouraged me to write. Much of my life has been shaped by correspondences between myself and friends. I enjoy the group texts between several classmate buddies that I am blessed to be a part of. Relationships are kept strong because of communication, especially those who brighten your day just because they sent a message just for you. Humanity is cool like that. We need to remember to keep in touch, because it makes life all the sweeter.
How Handwritten Notes Improve Lives
The Past
My grandmother passed away thirty-five years ago. Her name was Irene. She loved me. I think about her, and I can smell her perfume and hear her voice. I have a book with her handwriting, as well as recipes. When I see her handwriting, it’s a piece of her. Her hand recorded the thoughts from her brain. It is her mental and physical self on paper. I can feel her presence when I see her handwriting.
Likewise, my mother’s handwriting is easily recognizable to me. She loved books and cooking and sharing her love. I have books with handwritten notes to the receiver. Her recipe box sits in my kitchen with numerous handwritten recipes. The handwriting is more precious than the food she’s writing about. I can feel her arms around me simply by looking at her writing.
When I was going through post-partum depression, my dearest friend made lasagna for my family and included her recipe. I see her handwriting and feel the love flying off the recipe card.
If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, do you remember the giddy feeling when someone slipped a carefully folded note in your hand? You got one! Or the sinking feeling when you didn’t? Did your grandma, aunt, or friend ever write you a letter and you couldn’t wait to respond? The recognition and validation was sweet and joyful. It triggers hormones in our brain that make us feel good. And that makes both the giver and receiver’s lives better.
The Present
But that was then, right? If someone doesn’t know you love them through your text, that’s their problem. They can pull up a picture of you on social media and remember you. Hear me out. I’m not saying there aren’t plenty of ways to say, “I love you.”
Consider this.
Handwriting takes time. It makes you slow down and think about what you want to say. Typing is quick. Hitting send is much faster than folding, stuffing, addressing, stamping, and putting in a mailbox. Time is what handwritng is about. Giving of yourself. When that someone gets a letter, note, recipe from you, they’ll recognize the effort you took for them. It’s kind of like love economics: supply and demand.
The supply of handwritten notes is down, so those that are produced are worth MUCH more to the receiver. You can’t help but climb that pedestal a little higher. Your love for them becomes more obvious and felt a little more intensely. Feeling seen and remembered triggers hormones in our brain that make us feel good. And that makes both the giver and receiver’s lives better.
And who knows, someday when someone needs to see a bit of you, your handwriting will be that connection.
Handwritten Notes Trend
Here’s proof that the demand for handwritten notes is up. There are more and more computer fonts created that look like handwritten letters, it’s not the same thing, obviously. Pen to paper looks different. Did you know that you can pay someone to send handwritten notes for you? Whether it’s Thank You cards or a letter, you can hire someone to write them for you. (You tell them what to write — it’s not something they make up.) If there wasn’t a demand, people wouldn’t provide this service.
I guess I can understand using this service if your handwriting is absolutely atrocious. I suppose anybody’s writing is more personal than a computer printout. And if you have great handwriting, that might be a great side gig.
Think about it though, your handwriting represents you. Even if you think it’s ugly — and it might very well be — it’s still you. I love my husband and children, and if I got a note from them that wasn’t their handwriting, I’d be wondering, “What in the heck happened to their hands that they can’t write?” Yep, I think it’s pretty sad that people have to pay someone to personalize something for them. I believe in keeping it real.
Love Notes
My mom loved to sew. In her endeavor to foster compliments and sweet feelings in our home, she made a note center in our hallway. It was a large piece of fabric that had one pocket for each person. She machine embroidered each person’s name on a pocket, along with the title, LOVE NOTES across the top. (Years later when there weren’t as many kids home, she made another from old jeans with pants pockets.) An extra pocket held note cards or cut up paper along with pens and pencils.
Momma encouraged us to leave a handwritten note nearly every day. Notice when someone did something nice and write them a thank you note. Write a compliment or simply say I love you. Today, we might send a text — but if you’re like my family and everyone doesn’t have a mobile phone, I highly recommend starting this habit of expressing love in writing. Plus, the handwritten notes can be kept much longer than the text messages. And AGAIN — handwriting is more personal. I love the cute little backward “d” and “e” and misspelled words that a young writer makes.
Give Love
I have a sister who has worked in Australia a couple of times for several-year stretches. Her kids and their families are here in the states. I was telling her about this article, and she related how her greatest days were those when she’d stop at the post office and isntead of a bill — or nothing — she’d find a letter with her son’s handwriting on the front. She felt loved half a world away because her busy son took the time to write his Momma.
Isn’t that what we’re here for? To give love? To bring joy? There are lots of ways to do it. By phone, email, text message, in person, and through acts of service. Let’s bring back that old-fashioned form of giving love and send someone a handwritten letter. I bet you’ll bring a smile to their face — and possibly yours, as well.
Your Turn
What message era did you grow up in? What’s your favorite way of communicating? Do you ever look at someone’s handwriting and feel closer to them? Does receiving handwritten notes make the day sweeter and bring you joy? Do you think more of someone when they take the time to send a handwritten note, or does it matter?
Thank you for this sweet reminder!
You’re welcome. Have a blessed day.
I have a shelf that’s full of handwritten thankyou notes from people that mean a lot to me. I see them every day and remember how much they love me.