Day 9 -- Correspondence Course

Spent the afternoon "catching up on my correspondence", as they used to say back in the day. No emails, Facebook posts, tweets today... just wrote notes out the old-fashioned way--with ink, paper and postage stamps. I sent out thank-yous...to a friend for treating me to a lovely lunch, to my sister-in-law for her many acts of generosity, to another friend for sending me a package of articles on subjects I like. Also sent a handmade birthday card to my sister and a handmade get-well card to my mother-in-law who is in the hospital.

I have always loved to send letters, cards and notes. I love the whole process of correspondence. Selecting paper/card (or esp. making a card), thinking about what I want to say (never just signing my name), looking through my collection of postage stamps for the "right" one to affix to the envelope. I've never found it to be a chore. (Actual talking to people in person is harder for me).

And I like to send thank-you notes not only for obvious gifts received (birthday or Christmas present) but to acknowledge emotional gifts. Acts of kindness shown me. I recently sent out thank-you notes to everyone who attended my 50th birthday party. And thank-yous to everyone who made a donation to the small, personal fundraiser I was involved in. Sometimes I send thank-yous to companies to commend their service or to praise an employee. It's so easy (for me) to complain and rarely do I take the time out to praise. And I want to do more of that. People like getting a written thank-you. I know I do when one arrives in my mailbox. It's a NICE thing to do.