We've all missed seeing our friends and family during recent months, and even if there have been moments when you’ve been able to connect via Skype, Zoom, or FaceTime, there are bound to have been moments when you’ve really wanted to see how they’re doing – and let them know how you’re doing too! Here at Me Loovely, we love to find other ways of keeping special connections with friends and family when we can’t be with them, so what better way than to send them a letter by post.
Imagine their face when they go through the usual slew of bills and marketing material to find a little gem of a letter written by one of their favourite people! It’s sure to make them smile. But how do you write a letter to a friend who you’re so used to seeing and get your personality and your thoughts into a great letter that they’ll truly enjoy receiving? Here, we offer a few great tips:
How to begin
Often the hardest part of a letter, the beginning can make or break a great letter. If you're struggling for inspiration you could:
Describe - why you want to write
Tell them - what made you think of them
Ask them - how they've been
Remind them - of something that happened last time you saw them
Top Tips For Great Letters
Of course, it’s entirely personal to you and your friend when it comes to the main content of your letter. However, there are some tips to making your letter the three things that it should be;
1. Don’t type it – your handwriting may well be as neat as it would be if a spider crawled across your page after falling in an inkwell, but splodges, crossings out and your own authentic part of you, so be proud of them!
2. Reminisce – Describing some fun times you’ve had with your friend is sure to be a great addition to your letter; did you take a memorable trip with them or have a fond memory from your school days that you love to remember. If it makes you smile, it should make them smile too.
3. Ask questions – A letter shouldn’t just be your thoughts on paper; ask how they are or what they’ve been up to, and how they’re feeling. Times are tough at the moment for many of us, the opportunity to put feelings down on paper could be the best gift you could give them.
How Long Should A Letter Be?
Don’t worry about how long your letter is; as long as it feels comfortable is fine. If you don’t have a lot to say but want to make them smile, perhaps stick to a notecard, whereas if you’ve plenty of gossip to get across, you might want to use a couple of sheets or more. It’s entirely a matter of choice as to whether you write on one side of the paper or both, too. You could even include a little added extra such as a crossword puzzle you’ve found in the paper, or a clipping of a funny cartoon strip.
Signing Off
Once you’ve run out of writing steam, all that’s left to do before you send your letter in its COVID-appropriate peel & seal envelope is to sign it off. A great tip would be to encourage your friend to write back by telling them how you hope your message made them smile and you’d love to hear from them; after all, one great letter deserves another!
