What Happened When I Wrote 15 Cards in 15 Days

Yes, that’s right. Pen to paper. I wrote 15 cards in 15 days with meaningful messages. Not emails, not text messages, not Facebook messengers, not Snapchats. I wrote 15 hand-written notes and mailed the cards to friends, coworkers, peers, family and other business owners!

Confession: I DO own a stationery store (which sells the cutest cards and gifts in Brookings, SD), so it was easy for me to put my hands on 15 fun cards. I’ve always loved sending notes and cards to people. That’s one of the best parts of checking your mailbox — having a hand-written card inside! In a world full of electronic messages, I challenged myself to write thoughtful messages to those people who needed a little snail mail.  🙂

Here’s what happened when I mailed out notes to people expecting nothing in return. I didn’t ask for anything or need a response. These cards were simply to extend a meaningful message.

I mailed notecards to 15 people:

• Two family members extending a “thank you”.
• Three co-workers extending a “great job”.
• One peer who gave Hitch a high recommendation. Her referral turned into business for us! I extended her a “thank you” as well.
• Eight friends got notes personalized to each one of them about their life, family members’ health, new jobs, new engagements, and almost-birthday greetings.
• One fellow female business owner who I admire and deserved a congratulations for being in business for 1 year!

Surprisingly enough, I received one Snapchat, two text messages full of heart emojis and a verbal “thank you” from most of the recipients. Their messages were full of gratitude and pleasant surprise at the little greeting in their mailbox! It was gratifying for me to write 15 notes — and in some cases, for no particular reason. It was fulfilling to put pen to paper and stick stamps to envelopes. It reminded me of how good it feels to do small, but sweet gestures. The little things in life are the big things, right? I’m on the edge of being between a Millennial and a Gen X, so I value personal communication, yet appreciate the efficiency of sending immediate messages. I’ve always had a huge collection of colored pens and a stash of cute cards, so I definitely lean toward the Gen X value of sending personal mail.

In each card, I included a cute little insert (that I tear away from a daily calendar of inspirational messages) and put washi tape on the back of each envelope. I sign each card with a heart and my name written in lowercase. That’s how you know you’re getting a card from Renee.  🙂

Washi tape? Cute enclosure? Fun handwriting? Yep, it’s from Renee.

If you’d also like to pick out 15 cards and take this same challenge, we sell boxed sets of cards. Try it and see what happens! We sell them at Hitch Studio, downtown Brookings. It will fill your heart…and maybe your mailbox in return!

Need help with what to write in a wedding card? Here are some suggestions!