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 […]
Note and Letter Writing
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. All these intricate, modern communication devices. […]
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 Annette Petrick shares some simple wisdom that will remind you of some easy thank yous you can express right now. For Christmas, my sister gave me a loaf of homemade poppy seed bread. The treat takes […]
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?
2020 UPDATE: Since this was originally posted several years ago, I am unable to find this author’s website, so I assume she has closed the business (Heart Writing) she refers to. But her thoughts about writing a message for posthumous delivery is still very thought-provoking. There’s another service called SendWIG (Send When I’m Gone) that […]