Everything around us moves so fast, including time. For goodness sake, we reached this stage so quickly!
But do we really need to comply to the speed of it all? I often think about how to slow down time in reclaiming the little things, taking a minute to enjoy “special” moments during our week.
Remember when the most common way to communicate with friends and family was by “land line” and hand written letters? I use to love writing letters, and receiving them even more so.
Today, sending a handwritten note from the heart is still one of my favourite things to do. In many ways it feeds my soul. It’s time to reflect and be present with my thoughts, and think about what I really want to say to someone.
We rush through our day by watching the clock, calculating how much time we have before the next meeting, lunch date, fitness class, kids’ activity, hair appointment, and so on. Because we try to “fit everything in” we depend on the fastest means of communicating, through text or dictating to Siri while we multitask. Our messages have become quick words and abbreviated lingo, often coming and going without even a hello.
I understand (and am guilty of) “abbreviated communication” – it is absolutely what we need at certain times. But does it have to be for everything? Do you take the time during your busy week to send a note on pretty stationery, to let someone know you are thinking of them or to simply express thanks? Perhaps we don’t do this often enough – the act of slowing down to feel and articulate our thoughts in a hand written note. Who doesn’t love knowing they are thought of and deemed special enough to know someone took time to write about it?
Last summer, in the days following my “Celebrating 50” birthday, I wrote a note to each of my girlfriends. I wrote about what I loved and admired about them, and expressed gratitude for their presence at my big day. It took a long time to get through the process, but I loved every minute of it. Writing those notes created a space of reflection, where I got to think about what each of them meant to me and how I could tell them.
Today, I still schedule time for hand written notes during my work week. I love crafting a quick note to thank colleagues and clients, whether for a lunch, a conversation, or the opportunity to work together. Many times when I visit their office I will see that note card on their desk or pinned to a cork board. Very seldom does a handwritten note go unnoticed or unappreciated.
We are women with a lot going on in our lives. We are also women who love to receive hand written notes – from friends, loved ones, or colleagues – because it means that, if only for a minute, time has slowed down for them too. Schedule some time this month to pick up pretty stationery or a “just because” note card, and send out a handwritten note from the heart to someone special.
Why? Because we can!
Photos: Scotch & Coffee
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