Just say thank you.

The simple act of sending a heartfelt Thank You is a powerful thing and yet it is becoming a lost art. We forget that a personal correspondence in the mail to someone’s home might be arriving at just the right time and place to cheer them up or make them smile. A Thank You note amongst all the bills, junk mail and business correspondence is a true treat. Such a note is low cost, relatively low effort and high return but nevertheless rare and unexpected.

Instead, we expect instant gratification. The rapid pace by which we all live work and travel in our modern society changes how we do things. Social Media, electronic communication, texting, cell phones and e-mail are effective but they sometimes can be the enemy of a well-crafted message. It makes sense to slow down and turn back the clock every once in a while. Could it be the reason for the drop in the use of the conventional note as an expression of gratitude is due in part to the corresponding drop in attention to skills like penmanship, grammar and spelling?

If you went to Catholic school you may have been taught the Palmer Method of cursive writing. Developed by Austin Norman Palmer around 1888, it was introduced in the 1894book Palmer's Guide to Business Writing. It became the most popular handwriting system in the early 1900s.

Grammar is important too. Even though, people often associate grammar with errors and correctness they should also realize knowing about grammar helps us understand what makes sentences and paragraphs clear, interesting and precise.

Spelling, it seems, is experiencing a resurgence, albeit as a spectator sport. Live primetime coverage; the critically-acclaimed motion picture, Akeelah and the Bee; and the Tony award-winning musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee celebrate the tradition of The National Spelling Bee, which began in 1925. (Perhaps it is evidence that some appreciate the effort it takes to learn to spell words correctly.)

Here’s a great way to catch someone by surprise. Prepare a thoughtfully handwritten note and mail it! It is a rare pleasure to receive such a note and it could be a friendly reminder of a simpler time. A time when carefully considered thoughts were committed to paper and handwriting with language used to communicate appreciation.

Please allow me to thank you, in advance, for your beautiful note. I believe it will start a chain - reaction that will make people happy. Sincerely.