Once asked what action he would recommend if a person were to feel a nervous breakdown coming on, famed American psychiatrist Karl Menninger (1893-1990) replied: “Lock up your house, go across the railroad tracks, and find someone in need and do something for him.” One more reason to write personal notes! Over time, I’ve shared […]
Note and Letter Writing
Happy 100th Birthday, Uncle Edmund!
My uncle, Dr. Edmund Rhett Taylor, was born in March, 1916, and is married to my father’s sister Mary. He recently celebrated his 100th birthday in Columbia, South Carolina, surrounded by hundreds of family members and friends, honoring him for a life of service as a surgeon, patron of the arts, and environmental activist. I […]
Is Connection Getting Easier or Harder?
Digital technologies have given a whole new meaning to the word Connection. My guest, Connection Messenger* Annette Petrick has embraced many of these as much as I have, but in this 90-second episode, she offers a gentle reminder of some old-fashioned connection tools that will never go out style. Use the audio player below to […]
Can You Say Thank You Too Often? No!
You know how strongly I feel about gratitude and its power in connecting us with the others. My guest, Connection Messenger* Annette Petrick shares some simple wisdom that will remind you of some simple thank you’s you can express right now. Use the audio player below to listen to this 90-second show. For Christmas, my […]
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 […]