I’m thrilled to welcome today’s guest, corporate etiquette expert, speaker, and trainer Lydia Ramsey. We’ve become friends and realized that her interest—etiquette and manners—actually intersects beautifully with my interest—connection. At their best, etiquette and manners are the glue that holds a civilized society together, and that’s a powerful connection! When Lydia found out I was also a representative […]
Notewriting
What’s A “Bread And Butter” Note (and when do I write one)?
My favorite tool for connecting with others is the personal handwritten note. I get so much pleasure out of receiving one myself, it makes me happy to think a note from me might give equal pleasure when it’s pulled out of my recipient’s mailbox. If this subject interests you too, I invite you to join my Facebook […]
The 1957 Letter That Encouraged Me To Write
The envelope above held a later letter from my grandfather postmarked 1965. I didn’t have the envelope from the 1957 letter described in this article. My grandfather, Robert Beverley Herbert, was 78 years old when he wrote the letter below to me, his seven-year-old granddaughter in Virginia. He was a busy attorney in Columbia, South Carolina, yet he […]
How To Teach Our Children To Write Handwritten Notes
Calling all parents and grandparents! At the risk of stating the obvious, children are not born knowing how to write personal handwritten notes, much less why or when they should think about writing them. Once considered an essential skill by men and women alike—and a treasure trove of vital information and insight into the past […]
3 Letters That Changed History: Letter Writing Day Dec. 7
December 7 is National Letter Writing Day That gives me a wonderful excuse to write about my favorite tool for connecting with others: the personal, handwritten letter or note. I’ve collected so many stories about people who were touched, encouraged, comforted or inspired by a personal letter at just the right time in their life. Today, though, I want to […]
Your Most Pressing Notewriting Questions Answered
It’s the fifth Monday of the month, so my editorial calendar calls for a post on notewriting, my favorite connection tool. I thought I’d just share a few of the questions I’ve gotten recently about notewriting. Is notewriting the correct spelling? The person asking this question thought it should be note writing. Since there is no entry of notewriting […]
Deliver This After I’m Gone: Why Write Posthumous Notes To Loved Ones?
Welcome to my guest Debbie Gruber, founder of Heart Writing. Her story—and her business—take a fascinating approach to connection and the writing of personal handwritten notes. I believe it’s worth your consideration. Why send a message for delivery after you’re gone? At first glance, it’s easy to dismiss the value of posthumous notes. To begin […]
It’s National Handwriting Day — Reach Out And Touch Someone
John Hancock remembered John Hancock, one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence, is known primarily for his fancy signature on the document. National Handwriting Day is celebrated each year on January 23, Hancock’s birthday. The day was founded in 1977 by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA) to celebrate the pleasure and […]