A Message from the Heart, Not the Inbox

Barb and I don’t receive many handwritten notes anymore—not many people do these days. So when a special one arrived last week, it truly stood out.

The note in our mailbox had an ominous beginning. It opened with “Barb and Les, I am Harriet Burlow’s* daughter, Lorna. I am writing to let you know.” I feared the next few words would be, “My mom passed away last month.” Instead, I read with relief and joy, “Mom is now living in a beautiful memory care facility. She still remembers the two of you and loves the pictures of your grandchildren in your holiday cards.”

Harriet had been our departmental secretary in my first job, a rookie pathologist ignorant of the ways of office and medical politics. Along with her co-worker Margaret, she guided, taught, and occasionally scolded me, helping mold me into the professional I am today.

We probably worked together for about 20 years until she and Margaret retired from the hospital and the working world. Sadly, in the intervening years, the exchange of holiday cards has been our only contact.

I was determined to write back to Lorna, to write something much more personal than the brief, generic message our holiday cards contain. I knew it had to be a handwritten note, not an email in 11-point font to a Gmail or Hotmail address. This needed to be more from the heart.

I composed my message on my desktop—my thoughts flow more easily from a keyboard than a pen clenched in my hand. I told Lorna how much I had enjoyed working with her mom and how much I appreciated her note. Following some light editing, I knew I was ready to write it all out.

My next challenge was finding a note card. I have never had personal stationery. If I write anything down these days, it is usually on the back of a scrap of paper or a receipt. I asked Barb if she had anything appropriate (that is, not overly feminine) for me to send my note on, and after much searching, she found a lovely folding card from our Vietnam trip, complete with a pop-up jungle inside.

I carefully transcribed my words onto the note card. Since my cursive handwriting is unreadable (I know the cliche), I was obligated to use block print. I meticulously wrote out each word, taking care to avoid making any smudges or cross-outs.

I can’t remember the last time I hand-wrote four complete paragraphs. My hand was cramping by the time I printed out my signature. But I was glad that I did it this way. I can envision writing more brief notes and thank-yous in longhand.

I think it’s time I buy some stationery of my own. I don’t want handwritten notes to become a thing of the past, even as we move to the future.

*Names have been changed.