We are living in the age of instant communication. Email seems slow, and texting is the speed we have all become accustomed to. If the response isn’t instant we grow anxious.  

Remember the days of snail mail? The anticipation of opening your “real” mailbox, not your virtual one, with the surprise and delight of finding a card or a letter from an old friend — just because, or perhaps a thank-you note for hosting people for dinner or for a gift, an invitation to a party, a birthday or holiday card.  

The art of the handwritten note is becoming a lost art. Milli was known for her handwritten notes. Those lucky enough to receive one could feel the love and the warmth, and the lasting nature of it as it was held in your hands — something to keep. The effort of taking pen to paper, taking the moment to make someone smile and feel appreciated is to share something personal and meaningful.

What Emily Post, Etiquette Author, would say if she was living in our digital age:

“Good manners are about more than fulfilling bare minimum social obligations. They are an opportunity for us to connect to the people in our lives in a meaningful way.  In a increasingly informal digital world, continuing to pull out pen and paper is a way to distinguish yourself. The handwritten note speaks volumes simply as a medium and sends the message that you care enough to invest yourself personally in acknowledging another.

So this holiday season pick up a pen and write a card, send a letter. These are the keepsakes that create lasting memories.