day six

 i think i will send christmas cards this year. there has always been a soft spot in my heart for stationery.  there is something spectacular about giving, and receiving a handwritten note.

in this day and age it is all too easy to send a quick email, ecard, facebook wall post and text message checking in with someone to say hello, send apologies, gratitude and even inviting someone to a party or - gasp - wedding. there is no other word that comes to mind than inpersonal. at what point do you think that using technology to send information or the like to someone is unacceptable? 

am i going to delete my facebook tomorrow? no. i won't. do i think that social media is positive? yes, i think that it can certainly help society, i wouldnt be here writing a blog if i believed differently.

as i sat at the kitchen table last night, my father urged my grandmother to get rid of her landline. "whats the need?" he said. she replied, "i hate that cell phone. i use it for emergecies only. all of my friends know my landline." fair enough.  i wasn't quick to point out that if i ever call her, its usually on her cell phone from my cell phone, and if she ever wants to get in touch with me, she should call my cell.

here is my point: call me old fashioned but even at 22, it is disheartening when i call someone, get voicemail, and receive a text message back. "hey! how are you?" i may not always respond to text messages in a very timely manner, as i have been known to forget to hit the send button, wondering if my message got lost in cyber space, feeling like an idiot when it is still in the text queue box. but, if your phone rang, you obviously saw that i called, clearly wanting to hear a voice i miss dearly or to follow up on the pictures you posted online.  if you can't call me back and text me saying, "in a meeting," " in class," "etc." remember... tag, youre it.

relationships, whether they are family, friendships or romances, are a two-way street. it is so important to keep these relationships alive and strong, where would we be without them? if someone is important enough to have your phone number, likewise be saved in your phone, call. who haven't you talked to in days, months, years? clean your phone to the ones who are no longer involved in your life. your phone will feel lighter, i promise.

ask for addresses; send a card. i think if we get the ball rolling on what used to be, our friendships can grow stronger, last longer and everyone will feel more fulfilled. if somone is in your life on a daily basis, leave a note for a friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, familyl member in a spot that will surprise them. next time youre in a store and see a card that makes you think of them, pick it up! that $3 will bring a smile to their face. personalized stationery will never go out of style, and typically, purchasing a box of stationery, for example, an assortment of birthday cards, can sometimes be more cost effective than purchasing card by card, and with a much higher quality. you can often find sales online at websites such as gilt and rue la la. if you'd like an invitation (sorry, the only kind they have is via web, but i'd be happy to send you a thank you card when you make your first purchase) let me know.

the very best, always,

alexandra