If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that gratitude matters. It is a topic I am preoccupied with. When I say about Neither Snow that "mail matters" what I think I mean, more specifically, is gratitude. Mailed letters represent the best parts of ourselves, and behind almost every one -- an invitation, condolence, announcement, birthday card -- is a feeling of gratitude for another person's presence in our lives.
In thinking about my regrets, almost all come down to: "I should have taken the time to say thank you...really say thank you from the bottom of my heart." The problem is that the impulse arrives and then passes so fast and so frequently that it is easy to avoid acting on it, from reading a wonderful book ("I should write the author a note."), seeing a beautiful movie ("That scene with the baked goods and the ribbon deserves to be acknowledged."), missing a friend's birthday ("I should transcribe their favorite poem."), the smile from the man handing out newspapers on 22nd Street, noticing a well-designed sign or product or event, recognizing noble causes and organizations. The wonder of the world is like a fire hose sometimes, isn't it?
Without devolving into a panicked monologue about screens taking over our lives and the dying art of correspondence I will also simply say this: it feels good to return to a tangible communication method with a history, and to do so in a way that is deliberate and methodical (as inspired by Kate Bingaman Burt). I'm so grateful for the opportunity to do so for my clients, and I need to do it more myself.
In the last few days you may have noticed numbered posts (1:1.1, 2:1.2, 3:1.3, etc.). They are my new year's resolution for 2011: to write a letter of gratitude every day (number of sequence:date). I will also be taking monthly gratitude requests. If you have someone in mind who you feel deserves a handwritten note recognizing their efforts, please email me and I'll take it under consideration. And if I could write you each an individual letter I would: thank you for stopping by.
[Copper "thank you" plate above very kindly sent by Dan -- he used it for the beautiful invitation suite he designed. And then took the time to send it to me.]