Gratitude is in. Thank you note writing has been circulating around in pop culture lately.

Gratitude is hip. In the news just this week, Nascar driver Daniel Hemric  penned thank you notes to American servicemen and women. They keep our country safe.

Thanking supporters

Taylor Swift is writing thank you notes to DJs, radio hosts and others who help support her musical career.

Writing of your gratitude

And, Regis Philbin helped late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon complete his regular thank you note writing bit last Friday night.

These celebrities demonstrate the power of thank you notes. They help strengthen relationships and are a main way to express your love. Plus, they may even help you in your career.

Thank you notes are powerful because people yearn to feel appreciated and acknowledged.

But you knew that already, didn’t you?

Empathy, compassion and gratitude are some of the beautiful qualities shared by Giftsin24 customers. Be a kind person.

Here at Giftsin24, we sell personalized stationery. But that’s not all. When you purchase our product, you are doing more than simply buying stationery. You are ultimately acting on being a kind person. A polite person. A thoughtful person.

On the heals of commencement speech season, many speakers choose to focus on the importance of character and kindness. Yes, academic achievements are important, but when push comes to shove, being kind might just get you farther in life. Here are two speakers and their speeches that explore this topic and are generally judged among the best commencement addresses:

George Saunders  2013 at Syracuse University

David McCullough Jr. 2012 at Wellesley High School

Acknowledging the generosity of others keeps that positive vibe flowing. The concept of “paying it forward” has become very popular in recent years. And there’s a great reason why: Connecting with others makes life more happy, more meaningful.

Kindness is King

Writing a note in your own handwriting is a small yet powerful way to share your gratitude with those around you. From the basic thank you for a birthday gift, to the expression of your deep gratefulness to someone who changed your life, penning thoughts on paper is a wonderful, simple way to act on your best impulses, and bring more love and connection into your life.

So, we thank you, dear customer, for being the kind person you are.

Beat the winter blahs with new stationery.

When the skies are grey, temperatures plunge and daylight barely breaks ten hours, we all need a break from the drear. How about some happy stationery to perk you up and help you connect with friends?

With a good pen and a stamp, you can cheer yourself up by writing a friendly note to your old college roommate, favorite cousin or old next-door-neighbor. Won’t they be surprised to get your letter?

Three of our happiest cards and notes

Notable Note: One of our best selling notes! Your monogram appears in an ebullient, rounded script lettering style in one of ten luscious raised-ink colors. Choose fuchsia, red or purple for a pick-me-up vibe.

Blossom Note: Another exquisite design by America’s leader in social stationery! Our Blossom Note features superb embossed and creamy, triple-thick paper. Yo’u’ll enjoy writing a letter on this note. The Japanese-inspired motif features a spray of flowers deeply impressed into the paper. Below, your name appears in shiny raised ink. Choose from 6 pretty lettering styles and 10 ink colors.

Manhattan Card: This single panel card lights up an ordinary day with a ticker tape parade of polka dots, highlighted by your name in a curling script. For a real treat, choose lined envelopes in your choice of 5 patterns and 4 colors.

Find other people who love to write letters through letter writing blogs.

We love reading about writing! Do you? Two months ago we listed some of our favorite letter writing websites. Here are a few more; these are blogs that explore the not-so-lost art of letter-writing.

Check out these letter writing blogs

Letter Writers Alliance Their mission is to be an “An Alliance for those who enjoy letter writing and postal adventures.” Recent posts have been about pens, the US Postal Service’s consumer commission and carbon paper (remember that?).  Learn about letter writing events near you and much more. For just $5, you can become a lifetime member and receive a badge.

Mrs. Murphy’s Mailbox Magic   This website has a clean look and short, engaging articles that are fun to read. Recent posts have been about Flat Stanley, round robin letter writing groups and more.

Letters of Note  If you enjoy the historical aspects of letter writing, you’ll enjoy this blog, an “attempt to gather and sort fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos.” Famous events and people are examined through the lens of the pen.

Red Letter Day  This San Francisco-based blog has a modern edge and focuses on mail art and other related topics, including ink stamps, stamps and postcards–all beautifully curated and described.

By writing letters, we connect with friends and family in ways that are sometimes difficult to do in person.

On the 20th anniversary of the popular Friends television series, and shortly after Ken Burns’ The Roosevelts: An Intimate History wrapped on PBS in Chicago, we’re thinking about how we connect to our friends and family, and how we sometimes do that through letter-writing.

Friends celebrated the close-knit relationships of young people living away from their families in New York City during the 90s.  Do you remember the episode in Season 4 when Rachel writes a letter to Ross; he needs to read it for them to reunite. But he falls asleep and then “fakes it” when Rachel wants to discuss it, with funny consequences.

The Power of the Pen

Teddy Roosevelt, FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt depended on letter writing to formulate and share ideas, express their love and keep in touch, just as we still do today. The Roosevelts maintained long distance friendships through letter writing when they were called away from home by their duties as public leaders.

In the Roosevelt’s time, letter writing was more common and almost necessary. But today, as Friends demonstrates, we use letter-writing to convey our most intense thoughts with people important in our lives. Sometimes it’s easier to deliver our messages on paper, rather than verbally, especially, as in Rachel and Ross’ case, emotions are high.  Love letters. Condolence letters. Letters of apology. And even congratulatory letters. These are all cases when letters are beautifully appropriate and perfect.

Throughout our lives people we love get hurt or sick. A handwritten note expressing our concern and wishes for recovery will mean so much to the recipient. It shows that we’re thinking about them and we’ve taken the time to let them know. Writing a get well soon message is not complicated.

5 Tips

• Be positive and upbeat. This is not a formal letter, so express yourself naturally.
• If the letter is going to a friend or family member, you could bring up something that you both experienced or shared. This will make your message more personal.
• Let them know you miss them, and perhaps offer a specific example.
• A humorous anecdote or good news is always welcome and will lighten the mood.
• Reassure them of your support and assistance.

Dear Elizabeth,
I was so sorry to hear that you’ve been under the weather recently. I certainly hope that you’ll be back up and feeling like yourself again soon. We really miss your sense of humor around here at the office — not to mention your homemade cookies.
I hope that you’ll get plenty of rest and feel better soon. Please let me know if there’s anything at all that I can do for you to make things easier. I’d be happy to go to the grocery store or run an errand for you. Don’t hesitate to call me if there’s something I can do for you. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
Sincerely,

Don’t procrastinate — write your get well message in a timely manner. They’ll appreciate your sincere and genuine interest in their well-being.

Writing a heartfelt get well message for someone, whether family, friend, colleague or co-worker, is a thoughtful and considerate gesture. They’ll greatly appreciate and remember your thoughtfulness.

Handwritten letters from all over the world

Here at Giftsin24.com, we love to write letters. Who doesn’t love the surprise of finding a handwritten envelope at your mail slot? We’ve dug up some cool letter writing websites and blogs to inspire you.

Who knows? You may find your next pen pal.

This beautiful site takes nominations for people in need of a bundle of love letters from strangers. You can propose someone you know, or you can write a letter to someone in need www.moreloveletters.com

The London-based blog Positively Postal collects letters from all around the world. Consider sending in one of your own: www.positivelypostal.co.uk/around-the-world-in-letters

Snail Mail My Email is a worldwide collaborative art project where volunteers hand write strangers’ emails and send physical letters to the intended recipients, free of charge. http://snailmailmyemail.org

International Pen Friends supplies people with penpals worldwide since 1967. www.ipf.net.au

Thank a deployed service member or veteran through the Operation Gratitude website: www.operationgratitude.com/get-involved/write-letters/

The blog Lovely Handwritten Notes asks for letters and sends them out, no questions asked. http://lovelyhandwrittennotes.tumblr.com/contact.info

Do you have favorite letter writing websites or blogs? Include them in the comments section and we’ll consider them for our next blog on this topic.

In this age of electronic mail, Facebook friends and even the first experiments with self-driving cars, writing letters with pen and paper can feel old-fashioned. After all, if you can do it with a computer faster and with less effort, then it must be better. Or so we’re led to believe.

The fact of the matter is that the human touch is still essential to our well-being. The sights, smells, sounds and textures of daily living soothe our nerves, stimulate our creativity and connect us to one another. Consider these examples:

When you gather together with friends and family, you end up in the kitchen, with all the smells and sounds of cooking.

Walking barefoot–in the sand, on a lawn or in the mud–is one of the simple pleasures of summer.

A handshake is still the best way to seal a deal.

And what college student doesn’t love a care-package, complete with home-baked cookies and a love note?

The Power of Handwritten Letters

Sitting down to write a letter, as humans have done for at least a thousand years, is another such indispensable experience.

You select a piece of paper and a pen that feels just right. Then you choose a chair, perhaps with an enjoyable view. You might listen to music or simply the breeze wafting through the window curtains.

And then you write.

You write what’s on your mind, in your heart and even sometimes what flows out of your soul.

You fold your letter, you place it in the envelope, you address it and you stamp it. Then you leave it for the mail carrier or bring it to the post office.

Your letter makes its journey…and what happens next?

Where the Magic Happens

First, there’s delight and surprise at the mailbox.

Think of the next sensations. There’s the look of the canceled stamp and the feel of the envelope, which may be a little worse for the wear.

Some people may wait to read the letter at a more leisurely time when all words can be savored and considered. Others may tear open the envelope right away.

Then there’s the sound of paper ripping. And paper unfolding.

The paper crinkles in hand as smooth sheets slip against each other.

The handwriting–so personal, so individual–reflects an aspect of personality that a typed email can never reveal. The slanting, curling letters pressed into paper, sometimes lightly, other times deeply, are as unique as the individual who made them.

It’s quiet for a while as words register in the eyes, then the brain, and the heart. Emotions, thoughts, feelings tumble about.

After the letter is read, perhaps favorite parts are re-read. Maybe at supper that evening, certain passages are read out loud to family or friends.

Later that evening, the process begins anew:  The writer selects a piece of paper and a pen that feels just right…

Digital communication can not replace the tactile joy or simple pleasures of paper and pen.

What do you think?